


Lessons From the Just

by StarrAngelofNarnia



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Discipline, During Canon, F/M, Golden Age (Narnia), Rating May Change, Spanking, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2020-03-08 04:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 28,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18887074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarrAngelofNarnia/pseuds/StarrAngelofNarnia
Summary: Lydia is living with her mother, brothers and sisters during World War II while her father is helping with the war as a doctor. Lydia can’t stand being away from her father and fears for her best friend Elaine, a Jew. When a fight with her brothers leads to tripping into Narnia, can King Edmund show Lydia that life may not really be as bad as it seems? This story is also listed on Fanfiction.net with certain sections omitted.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to my story. Before you start reading, I just wanted to share some information about this story. This story was originally written in 2009 and I was only fourteen or fifteen years old at the time. As I am posting it, I am reworking some of the chapters and there is at least one scene that will be in later chapters that is a newer addition to the story. The original work is posted on Fanfiction.net.

If this war lasted much longer, Lydia didn’t know what she would do. Her father, who was a doctor, had been sent to the war to help wounded soldiers. And as far as she was concerned, life on the Homefront was just as difficult to deal with as it was on the front lines. She missed her father. Her mother was now raising the family on her own while simultaneously trying to work. She was in constant fear for her friend Elaine’s life, who was a Jew and hated by the Nazis. She knew America was one of the safest places to be--there was news of more immigrants arriving to Ellis Island in New York everyday seeking refuge--yet, Lydia was still scared for her friend. Every day they received more news of what the Nazis had been up to and she was now old enough to understand the atrocities that were taking place abroad. So, even though she had it a lot better than others, Lydia’s life was still hard. 

It was a Friday afternoon, Elaine and Lydia were walking home from school, talking about the stories they had written for English class. As they walked and chatted, Lydia fixed her braids with her school bag slung over one shoulder. It wasn't the easiest task, carrying a heavy satchel while both hands were occupied with strands of hair, so while there was no chance the bag would hit the ground, it could easily be knocked off her shoulder. She shifted her shoulder to fix the other braid but before she knew what was happening, her older brothers Alex and Garrett snatched her bag from her and took off running turning around only to leer at her.

"Catch me if you can, Ly-duh" Garrett snickered as he raced down the sidewalk, stopping only when he reached the entrance to the subway station. 

“Alex! Garrett! Give it back!” Lydia yelled as both girls took off in pursuit of the boys. When they finally caught up with the two boys they were leaning against a wall leading down to the subway. They had dumped the contents of the bag on the busy sidewalk and were now playing with some of the things they found.

“Aww! Lydia gots a waddle,” Alex said in a mocking baby voice shaking the little toy. Lydia’s dad had made it for her when she was a baby and she carried it around with her all the time to remind her of him. It was a little wooden dumbbell with different colored wooden rings. The rattle had been her favorite toy as a baby, both as a music instrument and teether to chew on. And now it still remained her favorite toy, but for more sentimental reasons now. Her father being away had been difficult for the entire family, but it was possible that nobody felt the loss as much as Lydia did. 

“Give it back! Why can’t you just leave me alone?” Lydia cried, stomping her foot. Tears began flowing down her cheeks as she snatched her bag back and haphazardly shoved the contents back into the largest pocket. 

“Aww poor Lydia is cwying. Hush wittle baby,” Alex cooed, clearly enjoying his sister's discomfort. She snatched the rattle back and jammed the heel of her shoe into Alex’s foot before running down into the subway station.

“I’m gonna tell mom, Lydia!” Garrett hollered over the wall to his sister racing down the stairs. As Lydia and Elaine ran down the stairs, Lydia was staring at her brothers who were still at the top of the stairs. Unaware of where she was going, she bumped into someone going the opposite direction, dropped her rattle, and fell the rest of the way down.


	2. Chapter 2

Lydia landed with a thud in a soft pile of dirt. Dirt? There couldn’t possibly be this much dirt on the ground of the New York City subway station, no matter how dirty it sometimes was. 

“Lydia? Are you okay?” Elaine asked, from the ground next to her. 

Lydia cried, not only in anger but now also in pain from her fall. “Where are we? I wanna go home! I want my dad,” she cried, grabbing fistfuls of the dirt below her. 

They were clearly no longer in the subway station, as they sat surrounded by a thick, lush forest unlike any either of the girls could have imagined. When they looked behind them, they noticed a stunning lack of subway stairs; they had simply vanished, leaving them in the wood with no way back to the subway. Her brothers were gone. Her sister was gone. It was like she had fallen straight out of the world. 

Unfortunately for Lydia, the stairs and her siblings weren’t the only things gone as her rattle was nowhere in sight. Lydia couldn’t stop crying and Elaine did not know what to say to comfort her friend. She settled for just resting her hand on the small of her back, in hopes that the gentle touch would somehow calm her. She was uneasy herself, after all. 

Suddenly, the girls heard a noise through the trees. In a panic, Elaine jumped up. Of course, she knew this was foolish, as she couldn’t possibly defend the both of them from anyone or anything that meant them harm. But she certainly wasn’t going to let someone just attack her injured friend that easily. “Woah, woah, easy there, girl. We’re not here to harm you, a horse said as he stepped into the clearing, amidst three other horses. 

“Hey! Horses don’t talk! Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought,” Elaine muttered. 

“You’re not seeing things, in this world animals do speak,” a voice chuckled. For the first time, Lydia and Elaine took a good look at the horses who had just entered the clearing. All four were beautiful, each with a unique color patter to their bodies. They were decorated with ornate harnesses for riding, and atop each of the four horses sat a teenage rider, equally beautiful. 

The eldest of the riders, who looked to be about the age of Lydia’s eldest brother Alex, addressed them. This was the same speaker who had assured Elaine that she wasn’t hearing things. “If you don’t mind my asking, who are you, where did you come from, and how did you get here?” 

“I’m Elaine and this is Lydia, sir. We’re from New York City, New York in the United States. We were running into the subway station, when she tripped down the stairs and we both ended up here,” Elaine explained, answering all three questions.

Lydia piped up from the ground behind her friend. “And if you’re just going to give us a hard time, we might as well go home where my brothers can pick on us. I just want to go home, I don’t want to be bossed around my people who think they are better than me,” Lydia rudely huffed. “I ran away from my brothers; I can run away from you too.”

“Well, clearly running away wasn’t effective for you, now was it? You’re sitting in the middle of the wood with a skinned knee and swollen ankle,” the second young man said sourly. “I’d advise you watch your tone, for you don’t know who you are speaking to, child,” he scolded, as he jumped down to the ground and stood next to his horse.

The oldest of the women gave him a hard glare. “Edmund, save your temper, she’s clearly frightened.” She turned to address to Lydia’s retort. “You cannot go home until you are sent there and that is not a decision for us to make,” she answered kindly, a hint of sympathy in her tone. 

“Alright then fine! Who are you, where are we, and why are we here?” Lydia asked just as rudely, a fresh stream of tears trickling down her face.

“High King Peter, the Magnificent,” the eldest exclaimed, hopping down from his horse. “My brother and sisters, Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, and Queen Lucy the Valiant,” Peter introduced, with each of his siblings bowing their head as they heard their name. “This is Narnia, a separate world from where you’re from. And as to why you are here? Well, only time can tell. The great lion Aslan is the only one who would know that. But everyone who comes to Narnia from our world is brought here for a reason,” he answered, an air of authority to his words. 

“Excuse me, sir,” Elaine said in her soft, gentle voice. “Did you say our world?”

“Lucy here, found this world in a wardrobe in a spare room back in London. We’re not from the same country, but we’re from the same world as you,” King Edmund explained, his tone softer than it had been when first addressing Lydia. 

The other two siblings hopped down from their horses as well, and Lucy approached Elaine and Lydia without the hesitancy or tact her siblings were showing.

“Aww! You poor thing!” She exclaimed, as she caught sight of Lydia’s injuries. “You really are badly hurt.” She fell to her knees next to Lydia and stroked her hair in an attempt to calm her, much like Elaine had been trying to do before the interruption. She turned back to her siblings. “Can we take them back to Cair Paravel and get them cleaned up?” she asked. 

“I don’t see why we can’t. After all, they could be here awhile,” King Peter decided. 

“And Lydia needs to see a healer,” Edmund said, regarding the injuries. “Can either of you ride?” he asked Lydia and Elaine.

“I can. I used to ride before I moved to New York,” Elaine answered. 

“Alright then. You can ride with Susan,” Peter directed. “How about you? Can you ride?” he asked Lydia.

“I don’t know. I never have before,” Lydia answered, timidly now. 

“Well then, you can ride with Lucy and Edmund can help you mount. He’s the best rider.”

Lucy hopped back onto her horse as Edmund approached Lydia. Edmund reached for Lydia’s hand and eased her off the ground. Lydia wasn’t so happy that Edmund would be helping her, but she admitted to herself that she couldn’t just stay in the forest by herself. So, she allowed Edmund to guide her over to the horse that Lucy was perched on top of. 

“Put your left foot in the stirrup. There, just like that,” he directed, putting his hands around her waist. “Now push yourself up and swing your right leg over.” As Lydia kicked off from the ground, Edmund hoisted her up, so she was high enough to swing her leg over. “There you got it.”

Once Lydia was safely on the horse behind Lucy, Edmund remounted his horse and they took off through the woods. With the heat of the moment having passed, Lydia now realized that falling down the stairs had done some damage, and she couldn’t pay attention to her surroundings because of the pain. She only hoped that when they finally came to wherever they were going, that she would be able to rest and put the afternoon’s events behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is already complete, if I haven't already mentioned, so I'm going to try to post a new chapter every week on Monday. The only thing that might possibly delay posting is that I have been adding to certain parts of the story and improving (hopefully) the plot from what was originally written back like ten years ago. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter will be the arrival to Cair Paravel.


	3. Chapter 3

It was about a twenty-minute ride from where the kings and queens had found them in the forest to Cair Paravel. Cair Paravel, as it turned out, was a marvelous castle, like something straight out of a fairy tale. The castle was made of stone that showed its age when viewed up close and was about the size of a small village. The edge of the castle looked over a large cliff, into the sea below. As the cliff dropped off into the rocks, it gradually sloped into a beach more beautiful than any Lydia had ever seen or imagined.

When they had passed through the gate, they stopped in a wide-open courtyard. Edmund, who was clearly the most competent rider of the quartet had already dismounted from his horse and approached Lydia and Lucy. Just as he had coached her up on to the gentle beast, Edmund coached her through dismounting, catching her by the waist when she jumped, and gently lowering her to the ground to avoid further upsetting her injuries.

After dismounting his own mare, Peter began giving directions to the rest of the party. “Susan, can you please escort Lydia and Elaine to a guest room? I will send a healer your way to patch up Lydia. And Edmund and Lucy can make sure the horses are comfortable.”

The others nodded, and Susan gestured for her and Elaine to follow. Thankfully, it was a short walk through the castle and soon they were crossing the threshold of a large guest bedroom with intricately carved French doors. Susan helped Lydia settle into a chair at the vanity, and a few moments later, a knock on the door alerted the girls of a visitor.

“Come in!” Susan called. Edmund came in, carrying a medical satchel over one shoulder. “I’ll leave you two to get ready, as soon as Edmund has finished with you. You will find gowns in the wardrobe that should fit you both,” Susan explained, excusing herself from the room and closing the door behind her.

“Peter caught me in the hallway. I’m afraid the healers are tied up at the moment, but they’ve sent me with supplies to heal your wounds.” He approached the vanity, coated his hands with the soap bar resting on the table, and then poured water from the pitcher over his skin to clean them.

He knelt down on the floor in front of Lydia. “May I see your ankle?”

She lifted her foot and placed it in his outstretched hand. He manipulated it gently, rotating it first to the right, and then to the left, and then moved it up and down and right and left. Nothing was too uncomfortable, and so Edmund stabilized it with a child-sized wooden splint and bandaged it. “The healers can take a better look at it tomorrow, just to be sure nothing more needs to be done. But you should keep it wrapped snug in the meantime.”

He moved on to her scrapes, which was a much more uncomfortable process for Lydia. The wounds were first rinsed with a cleansing liquid, that caused a painful sting, eliciting fresh tears. But Edmund made quick work of it, and soon he was using a dropper to apply a cooling healing potion that reminded Lydia of cough medicine and aloe. Bandages were applied and then Lydia was cleared to go about her day.

“I’m sorry I had to cause you discomfort, but the wounds should heal fairly quickly now. I’ll leave you to freshen up, dinner is in half an hour. One of us will return to escort you to the dining room.”

He bowed himself out and left Lydia and Elaine to themselves for the first time since they had arrived. Now that she was patched up, Lydia washed her face in the basin at the vanity, erasing all signs that she had been crying, while Elaine sifted through the clothes in the closet.

“What do you think of this place?” Elaine, mused, as she pulled out two dresses.

“I dunno,” Lydia said softly, watching her reflection in the vanity mirror. “Odd isn’t it? One second, we were running down the stairs, with Alex and Garrett yelling after us. The next, we’re in a forest, meeting people who claim we’re in an entirely different world.”

“Not much logic to it, I agree,” Elaine said, pressing a silky emerald green dress into Lydia’s lap. “But there’s no arguing, we’re not in New York anymore. We might as well embrace it. See what we can learn at dinner tonight.” Her voice was slightly muffled as she spoke, before her head popped out of the top of the midnight blue dress, she had chosen for herself.

Carefully testing the splint that had been wrapped around her ankle, Lydia stood and undressed. “I don’t like the younger boy. Edmund,” she pouted as she eased the clean dress over her head.

Elaine giggled. “What? Too much like you?” she chided.

Lydia blanched. “No! He’s nothing like me! He’s just too…” she trailed off. “I don’t know, too sure of himself. He’s not even the high king but he’s been bossier than his elder siblings!”

Elaine laughed again. “Sure, whatever you say Lydia. The other three are nice enough though.”

Lydia nodded her agreement, before undoing her hair to fix the braids. She sat down on one of the beds so that she was facing the vanity mirror and could see what she was doing. In an attempt to make her braids slightly more presentable, she started a French braid on each side of her head and pulled them into a single braid that ran down the back of her neck. As she was tying off her hair, she heard a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Elaine called to the door. Lucy skipped in, followed by Susan in a much more dignified manner.

“It’s dinner time. We’re going to escort you to the dining hall since you haven’t been anywhere else in the castle yet,” Susan said. Lydia and Elaine both climbed off the bed and followed Lucy and Susan into the hallway. Susan and Lucy chatted softly as they walked but Lydia and Elaine walked in awed silence, taking in the scenery of the castle around them. They entered a grand dining room with a simple dining table surrounded by six chairs. Peter was already seated at the head of the table and Edmund was sitting to one side of the other end seat, but both of the young men stood as the women entered. Lucy took the seat next to Edmund, Susan took the seat at the other end of the table, Lydia sat across from Edmund and Elaine sat down across from Lucy.

“I hope you like your room. I’m glad Susan’s old gowns fit you both,” Peter addressed the girls. The food had already been served, a dinner of roasted Cornish hen, potatoes, and baked apples, and a small loaf of bread for each of them. As they all settled in to their feast, they chatted amongst themselves with simple pleasantries.

Now that she didn’t have tears obscuring her vision, Lydia really saw the four kings and queens for how they presented themselves. In many ways, the royal family before her now reminded her of her own family. High King Peter looked to be Alex’s age, but she noticed an air of pride that Alex definitely did not have. He had the look of someone who had too much stress for his age. He had neat brown hair and beautiful bright blue eyes. His tunic was a brilliant burgundy. His title, Magnificent, suited him well, and looking into his gentle but stern kingly face made her feel guilty of being so rude to him earlier. Peter had clearly seen and done more than Alex had done in their equally long lifetimes, and he lacked the impish humor that caused her to despise Alex.

Next to him sat Lucy. She had long brown hair that she wore pulled back and lively blue eyes. In many ways, she resembled her eldest brother. She was full of energy and excitement. Unlike the rest of her siblings, her bright purple dress was covered in wrinkles, as if she spent more time playing and running around than acting dignified, which Lydia figured, she probably did. She was much like Alice in personality, but Lucy’s was amplified.

At the other end of the table was Susan. If Garrett were a girl, he’d be a lot like Susan, Lydia thought to herself. Susan had long brown hair, and the same blue eyes as her siblings. The way she held herself was gentle but hid a subtle strength that one could only achieve with a certain level of intellect. She was wearing an icy blue dress that accentuated her features, while setting her apart from the dark colors of her sibling’s clothing. This was probably the sibling who could always out shine the others in school. She seemed to be the calm and gentle, yet intelligent and powerful sibling, like Garrett was in her family. After all, though Lydia didn’t have great relationships with any of her siblings, Garrett was the one who looked out for her the most.

Finally, Lydia’s eyes wandered to Edmund. She had put off her visual assessment of the youngest king as long as possible, hoping to avoid accidental eye contact. But when she finally took a closer look at him, she was fascinated by what she saw. He stood out like a black sheep in a family of white lambs, like Lydia often felt in her own family dynamic. He was the only one of the four with messy black hair rather than brown, and light brown eyes rather than blue. His forest green tunic was slightly ruffled but otherwise kept neat. Like Lucy, he seemed to have a lot of energy and he didn’t have the same signs of stress the eldest two had. Unlike Lucy, Edmund could handle acting dignified much better, and he held himself with an air of authority that none of the others could pull off, even Peter as high king. Perhaps, Lydia noted to herself, her and Edmund were more alike than she first wanted to admit. Maybe Elaine had been right?

Edmund chose that moment to look towards her and their eyes met. Blood flushed her cheeks as she quickly looked down at her hands, now neatly folded in her lap.

“Um…” she started speaking, a gentle command of attention. “I’m sorry I was so rude when you found us in the woods. I had no reason to behave as I did. Will you please forgive me and let me start over?” Lydia asked the siblings.

She looked up when she heard the soft, gentle chuckle of Peter. “You were forgiven before we even left the forest,” he explained.

“Besides you were hurting both physically and emotionally. It may not be a good excuse, but it is an excuse. And we forgive you nonetheless,” Susan added.

“However,” Edmund spoke up, interrupting the words of forgiveness. “Please remember where you are in the coming days, as well as who you are addressing. We won’t demand any more from you than we ourselves could pull off, but we do command respect,” Edmund added. His gaze met Lydia’s, and she noticed that while his tone still demonstrated his authority, his eyes had softened. “And that goes for both of you,” he said, taking the attention off Lydia alone and addressing both girls. They both nodded their understanding.

“Oh! By the way, did one of you lose something earlier?” he asked, pulling Lydia’s rattle from his pocket and shaking it.

Lydia exchanged a look with Elaine. “It’s mine,” she confessed looking back at Edmund. He smiled gently, handing her the rattle.

“Why do you carry around a baby toy anyway?” Lucy asked.

Lydia knew she didn’t mean for this to be offensive, but she didn’t want to tell the whole truth. “It was my favorite toy as a baby. I don’t play with it. I just keep it in my school bag.”

After that they talked, having a real conversation that moved beyond small talk and pleasantries. Lydia learned the four young royals were the Pevensies and they had come to Narnia from the London Countryside, after escaping the Blitz. They wanted to know about Lydia and Elaine. Elaine talked about living on the ranch out in the west before the war. She talked about how, as the German army had quickly gained power, her dad had decided to move to an area with more people, where it would be easier to blend in.

Lydia told the Pevensies about living in New York. She talked about her dad. She talked about living with her mom and fighting with her siblings.

Then the Pevensies told stories. They talked some about their time in England. Mostly though, they talked about life in Narnia, and the what they'd been up to throughout the years they had been there. They talked about the White Witch and the great Lion Aslan. They spoke of the battle for Narnia, the talking animals and mythical creatures that were the Narnians, and their day to day lives as royals. Narnia was full of such wonderful stories, and Lydia was sure they had only scraped the surface of all the tales that could unfold.

After a while, a man, well he wasn’t exactly a man—more half man, and half goat—came in to the dining hall. He introduced himself to Lydia and Elaine as Tumnus the Faun.

“Your majesties. It is getting late and you have another busy day tomorrow.”

“You’re right Tumnus. It is late. We should be getting to bed. Tomorrow morning at breakfast we will discuss what the day is going to look like,” Peter said, taking authority.

They all said their good nights and then Lucy walked Lydia and Elaine back to their room to dress for bed.

As far as she could tell, Elaine had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Lydia on the other hand, had too much to think about to fall asleep. She was thinking about some of the things the Pevensies had told her. For one thing, they said they had entered Narnia a few years ago but from their experience, they knew Narnian time was very different from time in their own world. She wondered what was happening back in her own world. Would her siblings notice her disappearance? Or would they still be in that moment at the top of the stairs, when Lydia had practically fallen out of her dimension and into another one. That was what had happened to Lucy on her first visit to Narnia, isn’t that what the royals had said? Were her siblings angry with her? Was she still angry with them? If they noticed her absence, would they miss her? What would life be like when she returned, when and if she returned? But for the time, what was it about King Edmund that irked her so? With all the similarities the royals had to her siblings, she was already growing fond of them and their hospitality. But Edmund continued to rub her the wrong way every time their paths crossed.

After exhausting every idea she could think of, Lydia drifted off into a restless sleep, dreaming of the home and family she had temporarily left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for not posting an update last week. I was out of town for an intensive class for my Master's and didn't have time to post. 
> 
> This chapter is much longer than the previous two and I think the rest of the chapters should be longer as well. Though the backbone of the story is already written, I'm still open to comments and suggestions as I edit the story, provided they don't interfere too much with the plot. Also, what do you think of Edmund so far? And Lydia's perception of him?
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy and thanks for the kudos so far!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm updating the tags for this story. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE see the notes at the end before moving on to the next chapter.

The next morning, Lucy skipped into the room to wake them up. “Good morning, friends! Breakfast is in half an hour so rise and shine!” she said, flinging open the curtains to let in the sunlight. “I’ll come back once I’m ready and we can walk together,” she exclaimed before leaving the two alone again.

Elaine got up easily, but Lydia was more reluctant. She could feel the pain from her injuries the day before, intensified now, after a full night of sleep. She slowly limped around the room, getting dressed and fixing her hair to once again look presentable. She hoped that if she started to put weight on it, her ankle would start to feel better and the pain wouldn’t be as noticeable.

“You don’t look good, Lydia. We should ask the Pevensies if they can take you to see a doctor after breakfast,” Elaine sighed, helping her friend to fit her shoe around the swollen ankle.

“Ya, it hurts more today than yesterday. And my bandages should probably be changed too, right?” she asked hesitantly, as if unsure.

“Probably,” was the sympathetic response. “But I doubt they’ll need to be cleaned again, and that was the worst part for you.”

A knock on the door alerted them that Lucy was ready to go, and so the three girls walked down to the dining hall, where Peter, Susan, and Edmund were waiting just outside the grand door.

“Good morning!” Peter said cheerily. “You’re lucky that Edmund has had time to wake up. He’s not as grumpy now as he was about a half hour ago.”

“So how did you sleep last night?” Peter asked Lydia and Elaine as they made their entrance into the dining room.

“Very well, thank-you,” Elaine said politely.

“And how about you Lydia?” Peter asked.

“Once I fell asleep, I slept fine. But then I woke up,” she grumped.

Peter chuckled. “Not a morning person, are you? Neither is Edmund. You’re lucky that he’s has had time to adjust to being awake. He had a nasty temper about a half hour ago.”

Edmund glared at his brother. “Pardon me for not waking up nearly as happy as you, Mr. Sunshine.”

“Well you know what they say, Ed. The early bird gets the worm.”

“Yeah, and the early worm gets eaten. I think I’d rather stay in bed.” Lydia smiled just a bit. Edmund, thus far, had not shown any signs of a sense of humor and so she appreciated this side of him she hadn’t seen yet. But she also couldn’t deny that this was yet another one of the similarities between him and herself that Elaine had mentioned the evening before.

Each of them walked toward the seats they had occupied before, the boys, waiting to see that all the girls had been seated before taking their own places. But as Lydia moved to take her seat, her already weak ankle twisted in such a way that it simply gave out beneath her. She stumbled into Edmund, who was standing just behind her, making sure her and Susan were comfortable before taking his seat.

“I’m sorry,” she flushed in embarrassment, as he helped her regain her balance. “My ankle is so sore from falling yesterday. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright. No need to apologize,” he reassured Lydia’s pleas for forgiveness. “You did take quite a spill yesterday.” He pulled her chair back and held her steady as she sat down. Once she was seated and comfortable, he pushed her chair up to the table, and then walked around to take the seat across from her. “In fact, you should probably go down to the infirmary after breakfast. One of the healers can tend to your injuries.”

“Great idea, Edmund,” Peter exclaimed. “You can escort her to the infirmary as soon as you finish eating.”

“I don’t mind walking her over. But I have to tend to a hearing this morning and can’t be late.”

“Yes of course, Ed. That brings me to the topic of plans for the day,” Peter started. “Ed has a hearing; I will be going out to the village to help some of the Narnians with work that needs to be done. Susan and Lucy, what do you think about taking our special guests on a tour of Cair Paravel? If you’re up to walking, Lydia.”

“Oh! that would be lovely,” Elaine sighed happily.

Lydia perked up too. “I think I can manage!”

“Well then, we better eat quickly so we can be on our way. There is so much here to see!” Lucy exclaimed.

As they ate, they reverted to small talk, discussing the night before, and things to do during the morning hours. As anticipated, Edmund was the first to finish, and Lydia finished her meal soon after. Edmund bid farewell to his siblings and Lydia exclaimed she would see them again soon. He helped her to stand and then wrapped her arm around his shoulder to support her weight as they made their way to the infirmary.

Lydia was thankful for Edmund’s patience, as she was sure her snail’s pace was annoying to keep up with. As they walked, Lydia wondered aloud, “I thought an infirmary was only for soldiers in war.”

“An infirmary is just like a hospital. It’s where sick and injured people are kept while they are treated. So yes, they are definitely used for soldiers during war time. However, magic makes the infirmary experience here quite different than the hospital experience back in our world.”

In the infirmary, Edmund led her to a cot. A young faun approached them. “King Edmund,” he bowed. “What can I do for you this morning?”

Edmund took a seat next to Lydia. “Good morning, Bowman. My friend Lydia here, injured her ankle yesterday, I was hoping you could take a look at it and rebandage it?” he asked politely.

Without a word, the faun kneeled down in front of Lydia and began to undo the bandage Edmund had placed on it the night before. Just as Edmund had done previously, Bowman moved her ankle around and around, up and down, and back and forth. He examined it further by applying pressure to different spots up and down her ankle and foot. “It’s not broken. Use it, but take it easy,” he directed as he pulled supplies from a drawer next to the cot. He applied a coat of a lotion-like substance which would act as ice, he explained, before re-bandaging the ankle.

Standing slowly, Lydia tested out her foot in the new bandage. It was still sore, but she could at least walk without stumbling and falling, an improvement from her previous limping.

Edmund and Lydia thanked Bowman before leaving to find the rest of the girls. “Now you know where something is that Elaine doesn’t,” Edmund said to Lydia as they left the infirmary with Lydia supporting her own weight this time. “You can be the expert on that portion of your tour.”

Edmund and Lydia found Lucy just outside the entryway, waiting. “Lydia!” she squealed, upon seeing them. “Let’s go! Susan and Elaine are in the next room. I’m so excited to show you everything!” she gushed, taking Lydia’s hand and ushering her toward the door. Lydia could just barely hear Edmund chuckling as he went on his way.

The girls began their tour of the castle with Susan and Elaine in the lead, talking about the illogicalness of it all. Lucy and Lydia followed, both in silent agreement that magic was way more exciting than logic.

“It’s so exciting to have you here. I always have my siblings, but they can get boring after a while. It’s like having a new friend. I honestly haven’t had a friend outside of the castle and who’s almost my age since we first entered Narnia,” Lucy confessed to Lydia.

“Wow, I can’t imagine not having friends. I would be lonely,” Lydia commented.

“Well, I always have siblings to keep me from being lonely.” Lydia thought, that if she were in Lucy’s shoes, she certainly wouldn’t see her siblings as friendly company. But of course, the Pevensies all seemed much nicer than her own siblings back home. Even Edmund, who had left the first impression of being strict and unkind, was beginning to show playfulness and caring toward her and Elaine.

Up and down the halls they went, exploring ornate tapestries that illustrated the history of Narnia, lavish rooms for formal and informal events, and even the more mundane rooms that did nothing more than make the castle livable. Lydia had seen pictures and drawings of castles before but being in one was more magnificent than she could have ever dreamed.

As Lucy moved forward to add commentary to Susan’s and Elaine’s conversation, Lydia fell back just slightly, left to her thoughts. They came to a set of large wooden double doors, and without so much as acknowledgment, they continued right on past it. But as everyone else ignored the doors, curiosity got the best of Lydia and she let herself fall behind even further to investigate. She tried the handle, and it quietly clicked open just enough she could hear voices coming from inside.

Overwhelmed with curiosity, she snuck into the room as quietly as she could, leaving the door ajar. She looked up into a large rotunda. The domed ceiling was covered in a large mural of a lion, a woman in white, animals, magical beasts, and four children. Lydia had entered on the top tier, next to a set of stairs that led down to two more tiers. Each tier had a high wall along it, and jutting out from the back of the wall, were stone standing desks so the people on the platform had a place to rest their books and possessions. Quickly, Lydia crawled behind the wall of the tier below her and then peered around it, making sure she was out of sight of anyone on her level or below.

Down on the lowest level, were four thrones, all vacant, and a platform with chains attached, where a girl currently stood, openly sobbing. Her once lavish garb was tattered, and she had chains and ropes tied around her hands and ankles, shackled to the platform, as a prisoner would be. She had long, silky black hair and a skin tone the color of cinnamon. But what surprised Lydia the most, was that in a country filled with mystical creatures, the girl in chains was clearly human. In front of the row of thrones, she noticed a man pacing back and forth, listening as someone else in the room spoke.

Lydia sat back out of sight, listening. Then, a new voice spoke up. “You are aware that by fleeing to the country of Narnia that you legally revoked your citizenship to Calormen, yes?” A rush of either fear or excitement shot through Lydia as she recognized the voice. She peered back around, seeking out the speaker, who she now recognized as King Edmund. He turned to resume his pacing, and now she could easily recognize his face and his silver crown.

The girl nodded. “Yes, your majesty.

“Why did you flee your country?” a faun across the rotunda asked.

Without breaking her eye contact from the pacing figure of Edmund, the girl answered, “So that I may have freedom and safety. The people of Calormen are vicious and dangerous and have no respect for women and children. I was not safe there, even with my own father. Especially with my own father. I was the last child, and I was supposed to be a boy, an heir to the family name.”

King Edmund spun on his heel to face the girl, making fierce eye contact with her as he spoke. His voice was fierce. “Then why would you dare to provide any information of any kind to any person back in your country? You revoked your citizenship in trade for shelter and your actions could have put the entire country of Narnia and Archenland in serious danger.”

Lydia felt a pang of pity for the unknown girl on the platform. This girl must have been at least Lydia’s age or younger. And here she was, basically on trial.

Someone else spoke up, this time a centaur in the seat just in front of Lydia’s hiding spot. Lydia ducked back behind the wall, hoping she hadn’t been spotted by anyone turning to face the speaker. “You should call her crime out for what it is your Highness. She is being tried for treason. And we all know how seriously treason has always been taken in this country.” His deep voice sounded intimidating.

The girl let out a sob. “I did not think about the consequences of my actions. I only wanted to speak with my sister. I did not understand that what I was doing was treasonous. And the creature I gave my message to was so kind to me, offered me food and clothing and shelter…I didn’t know. I didn’t know he was a spy. I’m sorry. Please...”

Lydia couldn’t see what was going on and she desperately wanted to peer out again. But she couldn’t. Not yet. The centaur spoke up again. “Your Highness, you know as well as anyone else that the punishment for treason not so long ago was death. A life in prison where she will be fed, clothed, and given work to serve her country is a walk in the forest in comparison. You are well aware that when a crime has been committed, someone must pay the price. If not her, then whom?”

Edmund began to speak again, so once more, Lydia emerged slightly to peep around the wall. Edmund had taken up his seat in one of the four thrones. “Your concerns are valid Firestar. My child, you are ten years of age, correct?” The girl nodded.

Edmund’s voice softened, taking on a much gentler, but still stern, tone. “Because you are just a child, I agree that you likely did not understand how dangerous your actions could be. Further, I know the struggles that go along with dark magic and how tempting it can be. And as it is, nothing will come of the message that was passed to the country of Calormen. So, I propose, instead of life in prison, you shall be sentenced to 10 years in strict service to Cair Paravel. Rather than living as a prisoner, you will serve the castle, just as anyone else who works here does. Does the court have any objections?”

“10 years, strict servitude. But if she errs again, the remainder of the ten years will be spent as a prisoner. She must understand that there is no room for repeating the offense,” someone else clarified. At this, Edmund bowed his head in agreement.

Firestar spoke up again, so once again, Lydia ducked out of sight. “This is a just decision. But I must also reiterate, that although it is hard to resist the temptations of dark magic she must learn to just as everyone else must.” Again, Edmund bowed in agreement.

“Are there any further comments or objections?” Edmund asked once more. There was a low rumbling of voices. “Very well, we shall vote,” Edmund declared. As the council shuffled around, in preparation to vote on the matter at hand, Lydia snuck back out of the room, closing the door tightly behind her.

She had no idea how long she had been there, and this could have been a very bad thing. Walking as quickly as she could, Lydia searched for the other girls. Within a few moments, she literally ran into Lucy. Feelings of both relief and nerves washed over her as Lucy embraced her. How long had she been missing? What would she say when Lucy asked her where she had been?

“Where did you go? We couldn’t find you and we were worried.” Lucy asked, pulling back from the hug and holding Lydia at arm’s length.

“I got lost. It’s hard for me to keep up,” she said, gesturing toward her ankle, hoping that this would make sense to Lucy.

“Oh no! I forgot about your injury! Are you okay? I guess we should ask Susan if we can slow down,” Lucy answered.

Lydia sighed in relief and started walking again. “That would be helpful.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At first, I couldn't decide if I wanted to post the next scene as it's been re-written, but I've decided to go ahead and post it. So here is a warning. The next chapter, Chapter 5 WILL contain a non-sexual, disciplinary spanking, between two minors. If you choose, you can skip that chapter, and you won't lose any of the plot, just possibly a transition. But I think this scene is important to both of the participants' character development in the remainder of the story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't give up on me yet, despite this upcoming chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REMINDER!!! This chapter does contain a disciplinary spanking between two minors. I wanted to include this chapter because (1) I think the relationship between the characters in this chapter is important to the rest of the story, (2) it shows how Edmund has grown and matured into a responsible young adult since LWW, and (3) this would have been a fairly normal form of discipline in this time period. 
> 
> If this chapter makes you uncomfortable, you may skip it entirely, or stop reading after the line "Lydia nodded her understanding. “Yes, sir.”". If you choose to skip it, I promise you won't miss much!

Lydia and Lucy caught up with Susan and Elaine in a short time. Lucy asked Susan to slow her pace a bit and then they continued their tour. They had covered quite a bit of ground in just a few hours, and so by noon, the quartet made their way back to the dining hall for lunch, Lucy already making plans for the upcoming days. Peter was waiting for their arrival, but Edmund seemed to be absent. 

“Edmund is running late so he won’t be joining us until we go out for a ride. But we should still enjoy our meal for now,” Peter announced. 

Lunch was rather uneventful and as soon as everyone had finished and the table had been cleared, Peter stood from the head of the table. “How about everybody takes the next hour to freshen up and get ready to go out? And Lydia, Edmund wanted to speak with you before we leave. You can walk with me and I’ll show you where to find him.” 

This request seemed odd to Lydia but none of the others were concerned so she tried to put the thought to rest in the back of her mind. But as they parted ways, the girls heading in the direction of their quarters, and Lydia with Peter, her curiosity boiled over. “Do you know why Edmund wants to see me?” she asked as they walked.

“I have an idea, he mentioned something before I came down to lunch. But he didn’t give me any details. I think there is something he’d like to keep between you and him.” Peter sounded sincere enough. But Lydia was beginning to feel butterflies in her stomach. Why would King Edmund want to meet with her in private? What could he possibly want to discuss that he didn’t want his brother to know about? 

Peter stopped at an emerald colored door with silver trim. He gave a short rap on the wood before trying the handle. It opened. Edmund was sitting at a desk, writing intently on a piece of parchment. He looked up to see who had entered the room. “Thank you, Peter. Lydia, please have a seat. Make yourself comfortable for a moment.”

Peter closed the door gently behind her. Her nerves were forgotten for a moment as she took in the office. Lydia had passed this hallway earlier in the morning on the tour, but they hadn’t entered any of the rooms. Lydia was amazed. This one office was at least the size of her family living room at home, if not larger. The space was messy, it looked like a space lived in by a teenage boy. But it was comfortable. 

She sat down on a sofa against the wall opposite the desk, eyes darting around the room. Across from her, Edmund rolled up the scroll of parchment he had been working with and placed the roll and his quill in the top drawer of the desk. He came around the desk and took a seat on the couch next to Lydia, bringing her attention back to the present. 

“I’m sorry I missed lunch with everyone. But how was your morning? Did you enjoy your tour?”

“Oh! It was lovely!” Lydia gushed. “The palace is so magnificent, it’s like a fairy tale! I would love to live here forever! And we never even made it outdoors.”

Edmund laughed, enjoying her enthusiasm. “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it. And I’m sure you’ll have time to explore outside soon, too. But how did your ankle hold up? It must be bothering you; you’re picking at the bandage.”

Lydia was suddenly made aware that she had been absentmindedly tugging at her bandage. She crossed her leg so that her ankle was resting on the couch between them. “I don’t know. I can walk. But it’s tender. I liked it when it was cold.”

His fingers ghosted over her foot. “May I?” he asked.

Lydia nodded. Very carefully, Edmund undid the bandage wrapped around her ankle. “It’s still quite swollen. Tomorrow you definitely need to spend some time resting it. We’ve kept you quite active today.”

“I could rest this afternoon,” Lydia offered. “I don’t need to out on a ride.” Secretly, she thought this was a great idea. 

“But then you’d be here by yourself. Besides, the water in the creek where we are going is cold and will do your ankle some good. But tomorrow, for sure, you will need to rest.” As he spoke, he began wrapping the bandage around her foot and ankle once more. 

“You said you’re not a healer, but you seem pretty experienced in this,” Lydia mused aloud. 

“Did I say that?” he asked, placing her foot gently back on the floor. “I mean, I’m not. But sometimes you learn things because you have to. Basic healing is one of those skills I need sometimes as a king.”

Lydia felt the tone of the room shift as Edmund shifted himself to face her. “Lydia, we need to talk.” This sudden change in mood brought feelings of anger to Lydia’s chest. The glimpse of King Edmund’s friendly side had disappeared once again, and was replaced by the bossy, no-nonsense, overly strict side she was most used to. But now, she recognized this tone as the same he had used in the hearing that morning. How dare he talk to her like she was a criminal. 

“It was brought to my attention that you strayed from your tour this morning?” he asked.

“I dunno. I fell behind at one point. But your sister found me,” Lydia lied smoothly. 

Edmund fixed her with her a hard gaze. “I’ll try again. We missed your vote. What do you think should have been the sentence for Skylar?”

Now Lydia was confused. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

“I had to attend a final court hearing this morning. A child by the name of Skylar was facing her last trial this morning. And another child much resembling you snuck into the courtroom without authorization.”

Lydia could suddenly feel her stomach in her throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she breathed out. She tried to keep her calm but felt as though she were failing.

“Lydia, I saw you sneak in and hide behind the wall.” The way he spoke left no room for Lydia to deny the accusations. She had been caught.

Anger forgotten, Lydia immediately jumped to defend her actions. “We passed by the room, but everybody acted like it wasn’t there. And I was curious, so I tried the handle and…” Lydia’s words spilled out and were lost in her overwhelming thoughts. “I’m sorry. Did anyone else see me? I didn’t mean to spy on you. I’m really sorry, I won’t do it again!”

“Lucky for you, I am the only one who saw you. I mentioned it to Peter, but he has no idea what exactly happened.”

The look on Edmund’s face was as stern as his words. Lydia quickly looked down at her lap and squinted her eyes shut in an effort to keep from crying. She hated being chastised. It was the worst feeling in the world. Knowing someone was disappointed was worse than just about any punishment Lydia could think of. And she had plenty of experience. “I’m sorry Edmund. I really am. I know it was wrong and I shouldn’t have done it. Please don’t tell on me!” she pleaded. 

“I don’t plan to tell anyone; I plan to keep this between you and me. I’m in a role of authority, Lydia, so there is no need to tell anyone higher. But I also want you to understand that when you say you are sorry, you are admitting fault and promising to avoid the error in the future. But you utter the word so frequently, I’m not sure you understand the weight an apology has. Are you sorry for your actions, or are you sorry you were caught?”

Lydia couldn’t answer. She was hoping dearly that the lecture would end soon. She felt terrible. “I wasn’t christened Edmund the Just by chance, and I take apologies very seriously in that role. And regardless, an apology for an action that is truly wrong does not suffice as a consequence. Every action has a consequence, Lydia.”

Lydia’s mind began to race as she stared at her hands resting in her lap. What kind of consequence was he referring to? Why was he called Edmund the Just? Would he put her on trial in court? Would she be banished from Cair Paravel?

Edmund spoke up again, bringing Lydia back from her panicked thoughts. “Tell me, Lydia. How would you feel if you were on trial and another child showed up to watch? Would you be okay with that? Or, just imagine how you might feel if I had invited Elaine or even one of my siblings to come to this meeting as well. How would you feel?” 

As the lecture continued, Lydia found it hard to remember that this wasn’t an adult speaking to her. Right at this moment, she felt very much like a child being lectured by an grown up and it was hard to believe that Edmund was really only a teenager not much older than she was. Despite his age, Edmund had been tasked with a quite a lot of authority and Lydia had grossly underestimated just how much authority he had. 

She didn’t need much time to think about his question. “I feel terrible now as it is. And nobody else is here. If anyone else saw me getting into trouble I would feel so embarrassed. I just didn’t think.” She looked up from her lap, searching for his eyes. His face was still set with the stern gaze from before, but she needed him to understand. “I really am sorry, Edmund. I know I shouldn’t have done it, I really need to think before I act. And I don’t want to be in trouble. I don’t want to be sent away,” a few tears fell down Lydia’s nose from her eyes. 

Edmund’s voice softened slightly, at the sight of her crying. “Hey, now you’re jumping to conclusions. I am disappointed that you would wander into rooms that are clearly not open to you. But by no means does that mean you’re being sent away. And I understand that the past twenty-four hours have not been easy for you and I may not have come off as the most welcoming person, but I’m just as happy to have visitors here as Lucy is. However, you do have to understand Lydia that we still have rules here.”

Lydia nodded her understanding. “Yes, sir.” 

“Now, as I said before, I plan to keep what happened this morning between you and me. There is no need for anyone else to know of your actions, however, actions do not go without consequences and if I am to keep this between the two of us, you will accept the consequences I see fit. Do you understand?"

She nodded again. “Yes, Edmund. And I’m sorry. Really.”

With an air of finality, he shifted himself so that his back was against the couch and his feet were planted firmly on the floor. “I know you are Lydia. So, let’s get this over with. I need you to come stand in front of me please.” 

Shakily, Lydia obeyed. She had a sickening feeling that she already knew what consequence Edmund saw fit. He directed her gaze toward his. “Have you ever had a spanking before?” he asked. 

Again, Lydia nodded. “Yes sir. Just not in a really long time,” she whispered. 

“Alright, then. You know what to expect.” He took her hand in his and gently guided her over his lap. “You may squirm and cry out, but I will not tolerate any action that puts me in harm. Do you understand?” he asked, squeezing the hand he still held gently. 

“Yes, Edmund,” she whispered, as she clung to his pant leg with her free hand. Though she wasn’t fond of the position she was in, she was happy that Edmund hadn’t let go of her hand. Somehow, it was comforting. 

But the comfort didn’t last long because as soon as she had acknowledged her understanding, she felt the first stinging swat on her upturned bottom. And oh, it hurt! Despite his youth, he rained down smack after smack as if he had years of experience administering such discipline. 

At first, it was tolerable, but as he continued to pepper the same spots with swat after swat, the sting grew. Back and forth, back and forth, right, left, right, left. The sting grew with every swing of the King’s hand. 

Lydia had no idea how long he planned to spank her, but the sting was turning to burning and she was growing very uncomfortable. And he didn’t seem close to stopping. As the spanking continued, Lydia began reflexively kicking and squealing with every swat and she quietly let her tears of guilt fall. 

“I know coming here has been difficult for you,” Edmund began lecturing as he accented ever other word with a burning swat. “But you still have rules to follow and breaking those rules still has consequences.” She squeezed his hand as tight as she could in an attempt to deal with the pain. “Certain areas of this castle are off limits. And you need to follow those directions. If a door is closed, it is not open to you. We will tell you where you are allowed to go. Do you understand?”

“Yes!” she cried. “I’m sorry Edmund. I’m sorry I spied on the trial and I’m sorry I’ve been so mean since I got here. Please stop! It hurts!” 

He delivered ten more swats and then it was done. He did not let go of her hand and waited until she had collected herself. “Lydia,” he started, while she was still over his lap. “I want to be friends with you and Elaine just as much as Lucy does. But it is my job, first and foremost, to oversee that all the rules in this castle are obeyed. I don’t want to administer discipline, but if the need arises, I shall.

Lydia let go of his hand and twisted her body, pulling her legs up on the couch so she was now facing him. “Do you forgive me? For this morning and for kind of being a brat?”

Smiling softly, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “You already were.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is late this week. I had a really rough weekend and so I didn't get around to updating as early as I would have liked and as luck would have it, this is one of a few chapters that was greatly expanded on to the point of almost being written from scratch. 
> 
> That being said, if you'd like to contribute ideas to what happens in the next few chapters, let me know! I'd love to add in some readers' ideas!

On the way out to the stable, Lydia was feeling surprisingly refreshed. She had eaten lunch, had a great morning, and her time with Edmund hadn’t been nearly as bad as she had anticipated. But when her and Edmund arrived to the stables and saw five horses being prepared for a ride, her anxiety peaked again. 

Peter was the first to notice Edmund and Lydia’s arrival. “Lydia, Elaine is going to ride her own horse, but she suggested you might be more comfortable riding with someone. I hope that is okay,” he explained. 

Lydia hesitated. “So, we really are all going on a horse-back ride?” she asked with trepidation. 

“Yes! It’s fun!” Edmund exclaimed. His excitement over riding a horse could actually overpower Lucy’s. This was another rare glimpse into Edmund's true age and personality that Lydia hadn't seen much of. Especially considering their most recent exchange. 

“Besides, we figured we’d take you both out exploring some of the more distant areas of the country. There are some places you can’t get to by walking alone,” Susan gently explained. 

“And riding a horse is the only option for travel?” 

“Well, there aren’t exactly trains in Narnia. I’ve seen sleighs, but those are only useful when there is snow on the ground,” Edmund explained from atop his horse, who he called Philip. He had taken almost no time to mount his steed, using nothing more than reigns and a blanket as riding gear. Lydia watched as Philip trotted out of the stable and galloped one full lap around. 

“Are you nervous about riding because your ankle is still bothering you?” Lucy asked, coming over and taking Lydia’s hand. 

“No, I’m nervous because the horse is like three times my size and taller than I am!” Lydia exclaimed. Then in a much humbler whisper, she said “I’m scared I’ll fall off and get hurt.”

Lucy’s horse, a brown and white mare named Molly, spoke up. “Honey, I won’t let you fall. I’m not like the horses you are used to. I can think for myself.”

“She could ride with Edmund,” Peter suggested. “He is the best rider. I know he could keep her safe.”

Philip chimed in as he trotted back in the stable. “Hey! Nobody asked me! And I planned on taking Edmund as fast as we can safely run.”

Edmund dismounted for the time and approached Lydia and Lucy. “Lydia, we wouldn’t take you out on a horse if we didn’t think it was safe. Trust me, Susan wouldn’t let us go out on a horse if she thought any harm would come to us. And Molly and Lucy are excellent companions.” 

She looked around at the others. Elaine was happily sitting atop her own horse, carrying on a conversation with the mare. Everybody was waiting on her. 

“Okay, okay. But I can’t promise my eyes will be open.” 

“Excellent!” Edmund took her hand and guided her over to the horse. Lucy had already hopped on to Molly’s back. “I’ll help you get on like I did yesterday,” he said, moving to stand to her side, ready to hoist her up on the horse. 

“Don’t worry, honey, we’ll take it nice and slow. Let’s just enjoy the scenery,” Molly assured her. 

For the first part of the ride, Lydia did indeed keep her eyes shut tight. But as she grew comfortable with the gentle lull of Molly’s movements, she slowly opened her eyes. She took in the sights around her for the first time. Even though she had ridden with the Pevensies the previous afternoon, she had been in too much discomfort to really appreciate the scenery. But the forest they were riding through was beautiful. As they rode on, they passed fantastical creatures, talking beasts, and the most breathtaking and picturesque trees and flowers. Dryads danced around the paths, chasing each other and the horses passing through and the sight of river nymphs emerging through the trees was a sign to Lydia that they had almost reached their destination. 

“Took you long enough,” Edmund teased as they dismounted their horses by the river. 

“We don’t all think of ourselves as award-winning horse-back riders, Ed,” Peter smirked, bending down to the river and splashing a handful of water at his brother. 

The others had dismounted their horses, and Lucy had hiked up her dress to her knees to run into the river when Lydia finally spoke up. “Um…Help please?” she whimpered, still on Molly's back.

Laughing, Edmund ran over to Molly and grasped Lydia by the waist as she jumped off. 

“Oh, my goodness solid ground!” she sighed dramatically, sitting on the bank of the river. 

“Oh, come off it,” Peter nudged her. “I know it wasn’t that bad. Toward the end there, you even looked like you were almost enjoying yourself.” 

“Come on guys! Get in the water!” Lucy squealed. “I’m going to count to ten and if you’re not in by then, I’m going to splash you!” 

She closed her eyes and started counting. Elaine, Lydia, Edmund and Peter rushed into the water, trying to get there before Lucy got to ten. 

Susan sat on the bank with her feet in the water. “Oh, do be careful, please! I already have one of you injured, let’s not add to that.” 

The water was chilly, but it was refreshing, and a nice balance between the warm summer breeze in the air around them. They played the afternoon away and as the sun was setting, they began the ride back to Cair Paravel, tired but very happy. 

After a quick but fulfilling dinner up in the eldest’s suite, everyone went their separate ways to turn in for the night, except for Edmund, who followed Lydia and Elaine to their suite long enough to rebandage Lydia’s ankle before he bid them goodnight as well. 

After putting the lights out, Lydia and Elaine rested in bed, carrying on quiet conversation. “This is so cool! Imagine being able to live in the castle of teenage kings and queens in another world!” Elaine exclaimed.

“So, are you over the weirdness of the animals talking?” Lydia asked. “Imagine thinking it’s odd that your horse carries a conversation with you but not being surprised by river nymphs sneaking up on you while you're swimming,” Lydia teased. 

“If Susan can get over it, then I can. She’s much smarter than me for sure! I think she’s my favorite. Who is your favorite? Is it Edmund?” 

The afternoon’s events coming back to mind, Lydia cringed. “Eww. No. I don’t like Edmund, why do you keep thinking I like Edmund?” She looked out the window, glancing up at the stars in thought. “My favorite is probably Lucy. She’s just so happy and excited all the time. I can’t help but feel her energy too.”

Lydia heard Elaine snicker. “Yeah, okay Lydia. You keep telling yourself that. Why did you go see him in private anyway?” 

Lydia was quiet for a moment. She really didn’t want to tell Elaine what had happened. “I did something stupid. He wanted to talk to me about it. That’s all.” Okay, it was kind of truthful. 

“I’m just so excited!” Elaine gushed again, thankfully dropping the subject.

“I’m excited too! And I hope they all like us. But I do wonder why we’re here,” Lydia wondered aloud.

Elaine hummed her agreement. “Peter said only the Lion Aslan could tell us why we are here,” she answered. “Do you think we’ll get to meet Aslan so he can tell us why we were brought to Narnia?”

“I dunno. Maybe,” Lydia yawned, tucking her special toy rattle under her pillow. “But I’m sleepy. G’night Elaine.”

“Good night Lydia.”


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Elaine woke up Lydia with a pillow to the head. “C’mon sleepy head! We need to go get breakfast. The Pevensies are expecting us in like fifteen minutes!”

Lydia sat up and tossed the pillow back. “I don’t wanna go. My foot really hurts. You can go and tell them I’ll see them later.” 

“But you’ll miss sitting across from Edmund,” Elaine teased playfully. 

“How many times do I have to tell you? I. Don’t. Like. Edmund. But I really don’t want to go down to breakfast. I don’t feel like walking.” She flipped the blanket off her leg to show it to her friend. The bandage that had been nice and snug when she went to bed was now loosely pooled around her foot and the ankle itself was a rainbow of blues and purples, and twice it’s normal size in swelling. 

“Yikes!” Elaine exclaimed. “Okay. Ya. You stay here. I’ll go down to breakfast and let everyone know you need to rest. Are you going to be okay up here by yourself in the mean time?” 

Lydia pulled out a small notebook with the word Juniper etched on in gold lettering from her school bag at the side of her bed. “Yeah. I’ll be fine. I’m gonna write in my diary for a bit. I want to have documentation of Narnia so I never forget it!” 

Elaine smiled. “Okay, sounds good Lydia. I’m sorry you’re not feeling well.” She walked toward the door and opened it, stepping out into the hallway. “Oh and Lydia?” she said, peeking her head around the door, the rest of her already out of the room. “Don’t forget to mention your love for Edmund in your diary!” she exclaimed before hurriedly shutting the door. Lydia threw a pillow but missed the target that had already made a full retreat. 

“Oh, I’ll be writing about Edmund. But not in a good way. I’ll be telling Juniper all about what he did to me yesterday. Even if I deserved it. But I definitely don’t like him,” she grumbled. 

Lydia kept herself entertained for a while by writing her tales of Narnia so far in Juniper the Diary’s pages. But about fifteen minutes later, her stomach was beginning to rumble, and her mind was beginning to feel bored. A little less than an hour later, Lucy burst through the door with Elaine following her. Lydia shoved Juniper under the pillow just as Lucy came and sat herself down on the edge of the bed, wrapping her arms around her tightly. “I’m so sorry you’re in pain,” she sympathized. “Edmund went to the infirmary to see if a healer could come take a look at your foot.” 

“So, you should probably get dressed since boys are coming,” Elaine suggested as she threw a soft pink dress in Lydia’s direction. 

“Okay. But I’m gonna need help getting dressed. I’m not putting weight on my bad ankle.”

Lucy and Elaine helped her to slowly stand up, balancing on one foot, and stripped her of her nightgown. While Lucy offered her shoulder for support, Elaine threw the dress over her head and Lydia wiggled her way into it. 

“I wish I could wear pants like the boys. It would make this whole injured ankle thing so much easier,” Lydia said, plopping back into bed. 

“Sometimes I borrow Ed’s pants to go riding!” Lucy confessed. “I know what you mean. Sometimes being a girl and wearing dresses is just so much harder.”

Elaine blanched. “I will never understand why any girl wants to wear pants. We wear dresses for a reason.” 

There was a knock on the door. “Come in!” Lydia called through the door. 

The door clicked open admitting both Edmund and Bowman. 

“Good morning, Miss Lydia. King Edmund told me you were in need of medical treatment?” He said it as a question, rather than a statement. 

“Yes sir,” Lydia replied. “It hurts a lot this morning.”

Bowman knelt down in front of Lydia as he had the day before, and she offered him her ankle. He gasped at the sight of the offending ankle. He took it in his hands and started moving it in every possible direction. It hurt more than it had the day before. Lydia whimpered her protest as he continued his exam. 

“I know I said to use it,” he started, as he put her ankle down to pull the bottle of cooling potion from his satchel. “But I’m pretty sure I said to take it easy,” he continued, pouring a generous amount of the potion directly onto Lydia’s ankle.

“That’s our fault,” Edmund explained apologetically. “We took her horse-back riding. But she had her foot in the river, and that was cold.”

“The cold is certainly good for her. But she still needs to spend some time off of it,” he admonished as he massaged the lotion-y goo all over her ankle, foot, toes, and up her calf. He carefully wrapped the bandage around her ankle once more and secured it tightly. 

“I’m prescribing bed rest today,” he announced, as he put his supplies back in his satchel. “Keep it elevated with a pillow. I can leave a bottle of the EuclyptaMin potion that can be reapplied throughout the day. Edmund, you can bandage it, I assume? If you need me, you know where to find me.”

He addressed Lydia directly. “Bed rest, Miss. Or I’ll have you stay with me in the infirmary.” 

“Thank you, sir,” Elaine added politely. “We’ll do our best to take care of her today. I appreciate you taking the time to come down to check on my best friend.”

He nodded his approval, bowed to the two royals, and then dismissed himself from the room. 

“So now there will be no horseback riding for me!” Lydia exclaimed triumphantly once Bowman had left. 

“Oh, no worries. You’ll heal,” Edmund said, blatantly ignoring Lydia’s reason for pointing this out in the first place. 

“Never mind that now,” Elaine interrupted before the quips back and forth could escalate. “Clearly Lydia can’t leave the room today. Which begs the question, what exactly do we do with our day?” 

“Well, I know you all have eaten but I’m starving!” Lydia whined, as she sat back in the pillows, her foot now propped up on a cushion.

“Oh! How could I forget?” Lucy exclaimed, rushing over to the vanity table. She picked up a small chime and rung it twice. “We should have told you, every room in the castle has a chime like this one. If you ring it, someone will come to help. We have a lot of staff here who will be able to assist you with anything you need.”

“Well, what do you normally do with your time off? What would you do if we were not here?” Elaine asked, getting back to the matter at hand.

Edmund scowled. “School work. Between Susan and Peter, we have a whole collection of textbooks to study from. We still learn English, arithmetic, Science, and History. But now we also have to study Narnian history and magic. And I have to study military strategy.”

“How come Lucy doesn’t study military strategy?” Lydia asked. 

“Women don’t fight,” Edmund answered simply. 

“Well that’s dumb,” Lydia grumbled. “Why can’t women fight? I don’t see why women can’t do anything a man does. My mom raises four kids and works a job now. I’ve never seen men do that.”

“It’s just how the world works, Lydia,” Edmund argued, losing his playfulness. “Women still have important jobs, it’s just different. If we were to have a war right now, Peter and I would be expected to lead the army. But Susan and Lucy would be expected to run the country in our absence and help take care of soldiers when needed.”

“But what if a woman wanted to fight instead of running the country? Why can’t she?” Lydia pestered. 

Lucy rested a hand on Lydia’s, and Elaine gave her a hard look. “Times are changing in our world, Lydia. But this isn’t our world. We’re tied to their societal rules. And that’s okay,” Lucy assured. “Narnia treats us well, so I don’t mind taking care of the castle instead of having the option to fight.”

Elaine and Edmund both continued to glare at Lydia, until there was a knock on the door for the third time that morning. As food was brought to Lydia, the argument was thankfully forgotten. Elaine returned to the subject of the morning once again. “What if we study Narnian history with you? That could be exciting,” she suggested. 

“It might be fun to study with others,” Lucy agreed. “And, we’ll get to be the teachers! We have a head start on the content,” she nudged her brother. 

“Oh alright,” he reluctantly agreed. “But we’ll need to go get our things. My school books are in my office.”

“Mine too,” Lucy agreed, jumping off Lydia’s bed. “We’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere!” she said, walking with Edmund towards the door. 

“No worries,” Lydia grumbled, picking up her foot and gently lowering it back down. 

After the door was shut tightly behind them, Elaine turned on Lydia. “Why must you pick fights?”

“I didn’t. But that’s a stupid rule.”

“Lydia, since when do you care about women’s rights? You wouldn’t actually want to fight in an army, you just want to argue with Edmund.”

“Nu uh,” Lydia pouted, looking ever so much like a chastised toddler. 

“I still think you like him,” Elaine smirked, looking quite smug. 

“Oh, don’t look so happy. Not only are you wrong, you’ve also just subjected us to school work when we aren’t at school. Congrats book worm.”

“Oh stop pretending like you don’t want to know everything you can about Narnia. This is going to be fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this isn't sloppy. I'm job hunting right now so I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. And at the moment, Narnia is my escape, but I'm still distracted, even as I'm writing. Because I keep going back and forth between this and job searches. 
> 
> Also, this chapter is the first written entirely from scratch. I had literally nothing to build on (the last chapter I at least had a brief summary of). So please let me know if you like it or not and what you would like to see Lydia and Elaine experience in Narnia. I have an idea of where I'm going to take this, but I'm open to ideas too. 
> 
> Bear with me in the next few weeks with my haphazard posting schedule. Hope you enjoy!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for not posting in a few weeks. I've been experiencing some writer's block with this story so I took some time to upload some other stories to my account and work on a few that I have in the works. That being said, because I'm coming out of this writer's block, this chapter feels a little rushed to me. It is mostly dialogue but it's a good conversation. Hopefully it's still an enjoyable read. Let me know what you think in the comments. I haven't had many, but comments mean the world to me and keep me inspired. Anyway, hope you enjoy!
> 
> Warning: This chapter contains discussion of disciplinary spanking, but not the actual thing. Lydia needs some closure.

After a day and half of bed rest, Lydia was biting at the bit to get out of her room. The staff of the castle had graciously prepared meals to be eaten in the sitting room through the back door of the guest room the girls occupied, but she was still very tired of being pent up in the small space. She wanted to be out exploring. There wasn’t even radio to keep her entertained in Narnia.

So the morning of the second day, when Peter had suggested they take a picnic lunch out to the beach, Lydia was practically soaring with anticipation. Peter and Edmund were the lucky Pevensies off of work and left to entertain Elaine and a very antsy Lydia. They filled the morning with games and puzzles and Lydia did her best to contain her energy. But when Peter left to retrieve a picnic basket, she was through the moon.

“I’m so excited to get out of bed!” she exclaimed, bouncing up and down from her seated position. 

Edmund smiled at her antics. “Yes, but you still have to be careful. No rock climbing or running for you.”

“That’s fine! As long as I can get out of bed!” 

A few moments later, Peter came back with a basket full of food in tow and Lucy and Susan flanking him. “Look who I ran into on my way back. We should all change into swim clothes before we head out if we want to get in the water. Come on, Ed. Let’s go.”

Edmund followed Peter out of the room, shutting the door behind him. The four girls made quick work of changing their clothes and slipping on more appropriate shoes before heading out to meet the boys in the main foyer. 

Down at the beach, they enjoyed a simple lunch of sandwiches and tea. Lydia was the first to finish eating and the first to rush into the water. Lucy followed soon after. “This water is much warmer than the river was,” Lydia said as Lucy swam out to her. 

“It is! Isn’t it wonderful?” Lucy asked, floating on her back and splashing her feet. 

Lydia dove under water and reemerged a little bit closer to shore. “I could be a mermaid.” And then a thought struck her like a bolt of lightning. “Are there mermaids in Narnia?” 

“Hmm…” Lucy hummed in thought. “I dunno. Not that I know of. But that would be so wonderful!”

Gradually, the remaining children made their way into the water. They swam around in the ocean until the skin of their fingers and toes were pruned. As a group, they migrated back to the shore where they spent some time building castles out of sand, scavenging for small treasures, and resting out in the warm sunshine. Lydia was quite pleased with the castle she had built with Elaine, but she felt like the castle of sand couldn’t quite compare to the grandeur of the real castle they were currently living in. 

Peter and Susan had settled down on the picnic blanket and were chatting about political matters. Lucy and Elaine had settled down in the sand to build a new structure. Edmund had brought a book down with him and was presently engaged in his reading on military strategy. So, Lydia decided to go back to the water. 

One thing she appreciated about being at the beach was how graceful it made her feel. Especially while she was nursing an injured ankle, it was nice to be in the water where she could move freely, not worried about placing too much weight on her foot. And out in the water, she was far enough away from the others that the lull of the waves soothed her, but still close enough that the chatting of her friends was a pleasant hum.

She danced through the water like a ballerina, feeling a stronger homesickness than she had ever felt since arriving in Narnia. She missed her ballet classes. As she danced through the water, imagining she was a mermaid, she twirled, somersaulted, and leapt her way farther and farther out from shore until she came upon a sandbar. She pulled herself atop it and sat down cross-legged in the sand, sifting it through her fingers, wondering what treasures she could find in the oceans of Narnia. 

“Do you swim much at home?” a voice asked from behind her. Edmund had swum out again and took a seat across from her on the sandbar she had found. 

“Not often. We sometimes go to the beach on the coast of New York. But the water is much colder there,” she answered. Edmund’s presence usually put her on edge, but out in the ocean, the waves helped her to feel more relaxed with the youngest king. 

“How are you feeling? The salt water isn’t bothering your injuries?”

Lydia pulled her knees up out of the water, so the scrapes were visible. “I kinda forgot about them until I ran into the water. It stung for a few seconds, but it stopped pretty quickly. It didn’t hurt any more than the first day when they were cleaned.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” Edmund replied softly. “Doing it myself hadn’t been my idea. But Peter considers me to be the better healer of the two of us. Lucy is a great healer too, better than me, but she struggles with healing that hurts before it helps.”

Lydia smiled. “I can see that.” They sat in silence for a moment, just listening to the waves. 

“I enjoy listening to the sounds of the ocean. It helps me feel calm,” Edmund spoke softly, as if in thought.

Lydia nodded her agreement. “It makes me feel stronger. I’m clumsy but in the water I’m not. And I do also like the sounds of the waves. It’s peaceful.” The conversation died again. In a way, Lydia felt like Edmund was having a hard time talking to her just as much as she was having a hard time talking to him. Out of all the siblings who could have come to join her in the water, she was a little bit anxious that it had been Edmund. But at the same time, she reassured herself that the silence needn’t be awkward as they were both enjoying the sights and sounds of the beach around them. 

She spoke up again. “Sometimes it’s hard to remember that you aren’t much older than I am. I mean, you’re a kid just like me. But you don’t act like it.”

“I know, it’s strange. I went through trauma that forced me to grow up. I used to behave much differently. But you don’t like that I act much older than I am,” he observed.

“I guess I’m growing used to the idea. But no, I didn’t like it. It just made me angry that you would act so…” she paused, searching for the right term. Bossy wasn’t right, but neither was arrogant. “So stern, I guess you could say. Especially considering that you’d lecture me for things that Peter and Susan aren’t even concerned about.”

“I think it’s because I’ve learned to make my anger work for me. Rather than getting mindlessly angry like I used to, I channel it to more appropriate things.”

“You don’t act angry,” Lydia countered. “Honestly, you kind of remind me of my dad when I’m in trouble. Not very angry, but scary, I guess.”

“Well if you truly thought I was scary, you certainly don’t act like it by yelling back at me,” he chuckled. “But, for example, that day we found you in the forest, I was angry you were yelling at my brother and acting so rude. But instead of yelling back, I addressed you and called you out on the threat you made.”

Lydia shifted so she was now on her side, propping up her head on her elbow. “Well when you put it like that, it almost sounds manipulative.”

“Maybe a little. I think it’s more like finding a way to control your anger rather than letting it control you.”

“I guess that’s something I should work on,” she whispered toward the water. Perhaps temper was yet another similarity Elaine had spotted between Lydia and Edmund.

“There’s nothing wrong with being angry. There’s just a right and a wrong way of handling it. Trust me, I know. But on the topic of anger, you are cross with me, aren’t you?”

Lydia was slightly troubled by Edmund’s question. “You mean angry? Not at the moment. I mean, you have a special talent for making me angry at least once a day.”

He laughed at this, a genuine laugh. But he quickly sobered and asked a question that made Lydia squirm. “And what did I do to anger you the day before yesterday?”

Lydia rolled over on to her stomach so she would not have to look at Edmund. “You’re asking because you know the answer. You just want to hear me say it.”

“A little bit. I also have noticed you’ve been acting differently since then.”

“I have not!” she protested softly. “And anyway, it’s complicated. It’s not anything I can explain.”

“I kept my word and have not told anyone. But if you need to express your feelings about it, I would prefer that you do. I don’t want anyone to grow suspicious of why you act differently around me. Not that I believe I was in the wrong. But I promised it would stay between us and your discomfort with me makes it difficult to keep it between us.”

“Won’t they just think it’s because I don’t like you? Or according to Elaine…” she paused. “Never mind what Elaine says,” she whispered. 

Edmund lay down on the sandbar, mirroring Lydia’s position. “Lydia, you’re ignoring my concerns. I don’t expect you to just be okay with what happened. Granted, I still think the consequence was appropriate. But I know it put you in a difficult position, just as much as it put me in a difficult situation. You’re allowed to have some negative feelings toward me for that. It’s not like I’m your sibling or a close friend. And I disciplined you in a way that is typical of family, but as you’ve said, I’m very close to you in age and physically don’t seem like much of an elder.”

Lydia sighed in agreement, but still refused to look up. “I wasn’t angry at first. But when I went to bed, I had time to think about it. And thinking about it made me angry because it did seem unfair. So, I was a bit relieved I couldn’t walk the next morning because it meant I didn’t have to sit across from you at breakfast. But while everyone else was eating, I had time to write out my thoughts. And it helped me realize the consequence was justified, if not just for sneaking into a private meeting, then for all of my previous outbursts combined.

“It’s not so much that it made me angry. It just made me feel embarrassed. ‘Cuz you’re a boy and I’m a girl and you’re practically my age. But in that moment, it didn’t feel like you were my age at all. And you still sometimes talk to me as if you’re an adult. It’s unnerving. And I don’t like it.” 

“Your brothers have never addressed you like that? Peter has addressed both Lucy and I in such a way plenty of times before.” 

“Have they ever spoken to me from a role of authority? Not really. Garrett has been left in charge a few times since dad left. He’s not the oldest, but he’s the most responsible so sometimes he has to step up to help mom out. He’s threatened to spank me before when I got in trouble at school. But it’s never actually happened. So, I guess he has, but my brothers irritate me so I kinda haven’t thought much about it.” Edmund nodded his understanding. 

“I think…” she hesitated again. Something about the turn this conversation had taken felt important. She didn’t want to say the wrong thing. “I think it’s just that you are kinda different from your siblings.”

Edmund smiled. “I’m quite different from my siblings, actually. You haven’t noticed?”

Lydia rolled her eyes, giggling. “That’s not what I meant. It’s more like how I relate to you is different. Lucy is the easiest to relate to, she’s like a friend. Peter and Susan feel like siblings I wish I had. But something about you is just different. Sometimes it feels like a friendship and mutual understanding of each other, and other times it feels like you’re my own personal military drill sergeant. And it feels like I have to work harder to move away from overly strict parent to friend. Because you keep getting on my nerves. And I’m pretty sure I keep pushing your buttons too.”

He nodded his agreement. “I already do consider you a friend, Lydia. It’s an odd friendship. But every friendship has to start somewhere right?”

“Can you be a friend without acting like a disappointed school teacher?” she asked, sitting back up, sensing an end to a conversation and feeling content to leave the water. 

“I can’t make promises to that, Lydia. You know that. I have a responsibility to my country.” He shifted off the sandbar and now stood in front of her, the water rising up to his shoulders. “But I’ll try. If you try not to be a disobedient student.” His tone was light, and Lydia felt the strangest feeling of warmth in her chest. She smiled, and looked up at him, searching for his eyes.

“I’ll do my best,” she said softly. He offered her a hand and she took it. So they waded back to shore, to their little Narnian family and the castle they inhabited, together.


	9. Chapter 9

The next few days passed in a blur of games, trips to the forest, and studying the subjects of Narnia. Lydia’s ankle had finally healed completely so she was moving around once again with ease. As each of the days passed, the six children grew closer as a group, truly becoming like a larger extended family. And Lydia and Elaine were becoming more and more comfortable with the day to day life of being guests of royals.

A little over a week after their beach trip, Edmund and Lydia were left to figure out how to occupy their morning. While Lucy and Peter had duties to attend to, Elaine had agreed to help Susan with a research project. There was little that was more exciting to Elaine than cracking open a book and the idea of doing so in a foreign library was much a thrill. Lydia on the other hand, had no interest in reading all morning. Neither did Edmund.

So, after breakfast, as everyone went their separate ways, Edmund and Lydia continued sitting at the table, staring across from each other. “Well,” he started, looking at Lydia. “If we sit here too long, Tumnus will coerce us into helping out with dishes.”

That was enough for Lydia. She pushed her chair away from the table. “Alright. That does it for me then. We can figure out what we’re doing after we leave.”

Edmund laughed as he stood and followed her. Once he caught up, they linked elbows and continued walking. “Is there anything you’d like to do that you haven’t done before? Anywhere you haven’t been or seen?”

Lydia thought for a minute as they walked. “I’m not sure. I’ve seen too much of the hospital and my room. I’d always love to get outside.”

Edmund smiled. “I’ve an idea.”

Lydia looked at him wearily. “Your facial expression tells me it’s not a good one.”

“You said you’d like to go outside. The best means of getting around outside, you can’t do,”

Lydia could sense where Edmund was going with this. “Oh, no. No, no, no. I don’t like that idea at all. Next!” she exclaimed, hoping he’d drop it.

“Oh, come on, Lydia! I can teach you to ride. It’s easy.”

“I’m sure it’s easy enough for you. But you’re a boy. You get to wear trousers.”

As they continued to chat, Edmund had already made up his mind, and so was leading Lydia back to his quarters. “You’re about my size, you could probably borrow a pair of my trousers if you’re willing to try.”

Lydia looked hard at him. “You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?”

He pushed open his bedroom door. “Of course! So, a deal is a deal, let’s find you something to wear.” While Edmund riffled through his closet for some clean clothes, Lydia looked around the room in fascination.

“I’ve wondered something,” Lydia thought aloud. “Why do you all share bedrooms but have private offices?”

“It’s a choice,” his voice was muffled from the inside of the closet. He re-emerged carrying two articles of clothing. “Our offices are kept private because sometimes we deal with issues that need to be kept under wraps.” Lydia was worried he might bring up her own private meeting with him but was relieved when he chugged on. “But it’s nice to have each other’s company when we’re not working.”

He handed her the clothes he had found. “Here, try these on. These should fit. I can step out if you need me to. Otherwise, I promise no peeking.”

“No peeking is fine,” Lydia agreed. Edmund sat on his bed and faced away from Lydia who was stripping down to her panties. Thankfully, the clothes Edmund had handed her were fairly simple, so they were easy enough to put on. The tunic went on like a dress. The trousers were a bit more challenging. She tried to think of it like putting on a school skirt. The only problem was, there was a right and wrong way to put your legs inside the garment. So, she ended up sitting on the floor, carefully easing first her right leg and then her left into the trousers. “Alright, I’m ready. I think,” she mumbled, once she was fully clothed.

“Excellent! They fit you well. Come on, let’s go,” Edmund exclaimed, linking arms with her again and leading her back out of the room. As they went along through the halls headed for the stables, Lydia was no longer walking in pace with Edmund, but hanging back with trepidation.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? I’m sure we can come up with something else to do with our time,” Lydia tried again.

“Remember when you said you wanted to explore more outside?” Edmund pressed, not at all phased by the attempts to sway his decision.

“Yeah. I said outside. Not horses!” she whined.

“Horses _are_ outside, Lydia,” he pointed out as they entered the stables.

“We could go to the beach. The beach is fun. I like swimming. You like the beach too.” Lydia was grasping at straws. She really didn’t want to get on a horse.

Once they had crossed the threshold, Edmund stopped abruptly and turned to face Lydia. He took her hands in his. “Lydia, look at me,” he gently commanded. She pulled her gaze away from the horses she was looking at in fear and placed it on Edmund. “Since you’ve been here, I’ve helped you on horses, I’ve helped you off horses. And you’ve rode with Lucy twice. Did anything happen to you?”

She hesitated. Technically, there had been a sprained ankle. But that wasn’t the horses’ fault. She settled for shaking her head. “I know you are scared. But I promise I won’t let anything happen to you now either. I’m not even getting on my horse. All my attention will be on you. I will keep you safe.”

She thought for a minute. She couldn’t just agree with it and go on. She still didn’t like the idea of it all. “What if I fall?”

“I’ll take you to the infirmary to see a healer. And then I won’t make you get on a horse by yourself again.”

She held his gaze, thinking for a moment, before sticking out a pinky. “Then shake on it.” He offered his pinky out as well, and they linked them together. “And seal it with a kiss,” she added, as she kissed the top of his hand. He kissed the top of her hand as well before unlacing his pinky from hers.

“Shall we?” he asked, offering her his elbow once again. She took it and they set off again, stopping a few paces later in front of Molly.

“Well hello there youngins!” Molly greeted sweetly. “What brings you here today?”

“Molly, I wanted to teach Lydia how to ride. Do you think you could help me out?” Edmund asked, offering an apple he had pulled from his bag.

Molly took the apple gratefully. “Of course, I will! I’d be glad to help,” she whinnied, stretching her legs and nudging her door open with her head. “We can go out in the open field out back,” she suggested, walking to the back door of the stable. Edmund and Lydia followed.

When they stepped out into the clearing, Molly turned to face them. “How about we start with mounting? Hmm?” she hummed. “But first, let’s saddle up.”

“I agree,” Edmund said, bowing his head toward the mare. He set to work bringing riding gear out and instructed Lydia how to set it up for riding. “Once you’re comfortable enough riding, you can ride bareback, if you choose. That’s my favorite way to ride.”

In no time, Molly was ready for riding. “I’ve helped you mount before, why don’t you try it yourself this time?” Edmund suggested, stepping back from the horse.

Lydia approached Molly with the highest caution. “I’m sure you can do it, love,” Molly encouraged.

“But what if I can’t do it?” Lydia mumbled hesitantly, sizing up just how tall Molly appeared now that she was standing right next to her.

“I’ll be standing right here. I won’t let you fall,” Edmund nudged.

With a deep breath, Lydia took another step toward Molly. Just as Edmund had shown her before, she put a foot in the stirrup, and attempted to pull herself up. But she didn’t make it very far.

“Put your left foot in the stirrup so you can swing your right leg over. If you start with your right, you’ll end up facing backwards.” Lydia fixed her stance as Edmund directed. “Now make sure, when you push off the ground, you engage the muscles in your upper body, too. You need to pull yourself up just as much as you push yourself up.”

After a few unsuccessful tries, Lydia huffed. “Why do I have to learn to do this? When I get sent home, it’s not going to be a useful skill for me anyway.”

Edmund laughed. The attitude that would have irritated him days before, he now found funny. “Well, you don’t know when that will be, so for now, you might as well learn. But, I’ll help you get up for now.” Edmund helped Lydia get up on the horse. “And now you can ride!”

For a while, Edmund simply acted as a guide, coaching Lydia as she rode around the yard perched on Molly’s back. As her confidence grew, Edmund was able to mount his horse and ride along with her. Molly never went any faster than a walking pace, which Lydia was grateful for, but they both enjoyed watching Philip and Edmund gallop as fast as they could in the small clearing.

“You’re doing well for a first-time rider,” Molly encouraged from underneath her. “I hope I’ve made learning to ride a mostly pleasant experience for you.”

“Of course, Miss Molly. You’ve been great. Thank you for being so patient with me.”

“You’re very welcome, darling. You’re also lucky to have King Edmund helping you learn. I sense he’s quite fond of you.”

Lydia didn’t get the chance to ask what Molly meant by that, as Philip and Edmund cantered back. “You alright there, Lydia?” he asked, turning so that he was now sitting next to her, facing the same direction.

“Yeah. Sitting is just fine. It’s the moving I’m not so fond of.”

Edmund chuckled. “That’s okay. You’ll get there. But in the meantime, why don’t we go find the others for lunch?”

“That sounds great! But I need help getting down please!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on out, there will be larger gaps of time in between each chapter. Now that the characters are becoming friendly and the world has been set up, there isn't really a need to explain every waking moment of the adventure. If I did, you'd probably lose interest :)
> 
> Please leave comments and let me know how you like it!


	10. Chapter 10

Lydia was startled awake by a flickering candle on her nightstand, and a whispering Lucy sitting on top of her. “Lydia,” Lucy whispered urgently. “Lydia, wake up!”

“Wha?” Lydia groaned, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Lucy, it’s the middle of the night. Why are you here?” Lydia whispered back.

“I can’t sleep. Let’s go exploring!” Even in the dark, Lydia could just imagine how Lucy’s eyes were lit up at the proposition.

Lydia glanced over at the other bed, making sure Elaine had not moved. She didn’t want the hushed conversation to wake her friend. “But what about your brothers? Won’t we be in trouble if we’re out of our rooms at this time?” Lydia couldn’t help but think of what had happened the last time she had found herself in trouble with one of the elder Pevensies. And though she would never admit to Lucy what had happened between her and Edmund, she certainly didn’t want to put herself in the situation again.

“Don’t worry, I do this all the time! If anything, they’ll be happy I’m not exploring by myself. C’mon let’s go!”

Lydia kicked off her down blanket and swung her legs off the bed, groping around the floor with her feet in search of her slippers. Her toes caught the fluffy insoles and she slid her feet in, standing and following Lucy who had now relocated to the door, candle in hand. They left the door open just a crack so the sound of the door would not disturb Elaine, who was still fast asleep on the other side.

They turned around and started down the hall. Once the lights were out in her room, Lydia had not given much thought to what happened in the castle. But despite it being past her bedtime, the castle was still very much alive. The hallways were still lit up, though the lights were much dimmer than they were during the day. Guards stood at either end of the hallway, ensuring that nobody came into the Royals’ suites who should not be there.

“Good evening, Orion,” Lucy said, as they passed one of the guards. “This is my friend Lydia!”

“Off for a snack, Queen Lucy?”

“Probably! Do you know if anyone is down in the kitchens?”

“I’m not sure. But if you’re not back in two hours, I’ll send someone to search for you.”

“Thank you, Orion,” Lucy called back as she led Lydia into the next hallway.

“You’re sure we aren’t going to get in trouble?” Lydia asked, neck craned to see Orion the Centaur guard as they walked further and further away from him.

“If our guard knows we’re out, what is there to worry about? I promise Lydia, I do this all the time! Who would you be in trouble with?”

Edmund, Lydia thought. But she wasn’t about to voice that concern. “I dunno, isn’t Peter high king?”

"He is. But you won’t be in trouble. I go out for snacks at least once a week. As long as we don’t leave the castle, it’s fine.”

They walked in silence for a moment, Lydia enjoying the sights of the castle after dark. Fauns, centaurs, and other talking beasts, roamed the castle, cleaning things here, organizing things there, and catching up on the gossip of Narnia.

“So, I hear Edmund is teaching you to ride a horse?” Lucy started.

“Yeah, but I’m still not fond of it.”

“What about him?”

“What do you mean?” Lydia asked, slightly suspicious.

“Are you fond of him?”

Lydia pondered Lucy’s question. “I mean, he’s okay. I didn’t like him at first. But he’s grown on me.”

Lucy gave her a hard stare. “What?” Lydia demanded. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

They wandered into the kitchens and a young faun gathered up a small platter of sugary treats and fruits for the two of them. They stood at a counter that was currently unused and began snacking.

“Do you fancy him?” Lucy asked in between bites of cookie.

“Do what to whom” Lydia asked, puzzled. She wasn’t quite sure what it meant to fancy someone. Wasn’t fancy an adjective?

“Do you like him? Perhaps as more than a friend?”

Understanding dawned on Lydia and she groaned. “You sound like Elaine!”

“So, you DO like him!” she squealed. “Oh, that’s so adorable!” Lucy gushed, her food forgotten.

“What? No! I mean, I like him, he’s a good friend. But that’s it, Lucy. We’re friends. Just like you and I are friends.”

Lucy stared at her. Lydia nibbled on her cookie, trying to ignore Lucy’s eyes that were still boring into her, as if trying to get her to confess to some super-secret crush. It was hard to pretend that she didn’t notice her staring. But finally, Lucy relented. “Alright, if you say so.” She let it die, but Lydia had a feeling it wasn’t over yet. Maybe Lucy’s pestering was over for the night, but she had a feeling it would return. Just as Elaine’s pestering cropped back up every now and again.

“So what was Peter telling us at dinner about a royal ball?” Lydia asked, changing the subject to something that was, in her opinion, much more important than her view of the youngest Pevensie brother.

“Oh! Our allies from the country of Icemark are coming to visit. The Queen and her closest friends and advisors are doing a tour. They’re visiting all of their allies to celebrate the first anniversary of their victory in their previous war. I don’t know all the details of that, you’d have to ask Edmund or Peter. They know the war part of it.”

“So, I’ll get to go to a real royal ball?!” Lydia sighed. She was feeling more and more like a princess with every passing day she spent in Narnia.

“Of course! It’s going to be so wonderful!” Lucy agreed.

Their treats finished, and their platter cleared, they bid the evening staff farewell before walking back through the halls, back to their quarters. With stomachs full, they were both feeling rather sleepy again.

“Lu, I’m ready to go back to bed,” Lydia yawned as they rounded the corner into the hallway where their rooms would be.

“Have a good night!” Orion called as they passed him, watching the two girls who now had much less energy than they had when they had first left. Within a moment, they were standing outside of the room Lydia shared with Elaine once more.

Lucy hugged her. “Sweet dreams,” she whispered, as Lydia carefully and quietly opened the door. “Of Edmund,” she added right before the door clicked shut. Lydia was pretty sure she could hear Lucy giggling to herself as she closed the door.

“Oh come off it, both of you,” she huffed, as she climbed back into bed and snuggled in for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Orion is my own character, even if he plays a minor role in the story. 
> 
> Icemark, the country Lucy says will be coming for a ball, is a country from a series called the Icemark Chronicles and the first book, is The Cry of the Icemark. It's a great trilogy if you're interested. I thought it would be fun to include a cameo from the series in this story. 
> 
> Let me know in the comments what you think so far and what you'd like to see or what you think will happen next.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize this chapter is a few days late.
> 
> This chapter does contain discussion of spanking but not the act itself. If that bothers you, then don't read the discussion between Lydia and Elaine.

“Alright, we have some business to attend to,” Peter exclaimed one night after the dishes from supper had been cleared away.

“Business? Should we leave?” Elaine asked, gesturing to Lydia as well.

“Not this time,” Peter replied. “This is business you will be a part of. And business I think you might like.”

Lydia and Elaine exchanged glances. “I’ve mentioned before, our Allies from the North are coming to visit, Queen Thirrin and her party from Icemark.” Everyone around the table murmured their agreement. “As with any event we host as Royals, there are formalities we must attend to.”

“I’m not royal,” Lydia pointed out. “Nor Elaine. So, does that change things for us?”

“You’re not royal, yet,” Susan started. The way she spoke gave Lydia a spark of excitement. Yet? “But there is a ceremony we will be having in a few weeks in which knights will be appointed. Peter and I have decided that the two of you should be named as honorary princesses. You’ve worked very hard to learn about Narnia while you’ve been here, you’ve both matured gracefully, and we agree that since we already consider you to be siblings, this is the obvious next step.”

Lydia’s eyes danced with excitement and she couldn’t help but glance at Edmund, searching him for any signs that he knew of his brother and sister’s plan. She squealed with delight. “I get to be a real princess!”

Edmund smiled at her but spoke up. “So now is my time to make the obligatory reminder that the castle still has rules that have to be followed. And broken expectations have consequences.” Both girls nodded. Lydia no longer felt riled by such statements and she wondered if this was because of her newly found friendship with the Just King of the law or if this was an aspect of maturity Susan had pointed out.

“Yes, Edmund. We will, of course,” Elaine replied, excitement still clear in her voice, though she pulled off subtlety better than Lydia could.

“Susan and I have other business to attend to in the morning so we will not meet you here for breakfast,” Peter began.

“However, we’d like you to freshen up on your knowledge of the proceedings of both the knighting ceremony and a ball to honor an ally. Lucy, I’ve left a copy of the book you’ll need on your vanity. You and Edmund will have to help Lydia and Elaine. They’ve had no exposure to this content.”

Edmund groaned. “Can’t you summarize it, Su? You know I hate reading.”

Susan directed a soft glare at him. “If you can read through law scripts and magical healing texts for fun, I think you can handle a little bit of reading on event proceedings.”

“Is it a bit like military proceedings?” Lydia asked. She had attended a few ceremonies for her father when he had first joined the military. She doubted it was completely like formal ceremonies in a foreign land, but at least she had some experience to build upon.

Susan thought for a moment. “I honestly can’t say. I’m not sure what military events are like. They might be similar. If nothing else, you have a familiar experience you can assimilate to what you learn from the Narnian text.”

“Do we get to help?” Lydia asked, jumping to her next thought.

“Ooh! I’ll help! We can decorate! We’re nearing fall, so we can do a harvest theme. It will be so much fun!” Lucy bounced in her chair with a rekindled excitement.

Peter chuckled. “One thing at a time, girls. Let’s get a firm understanding of what is expected from all of us first. Don’t worry, if there is any party planning needed, I’ll be sure to consult you first.” 

When the discussion had concluded, everyone went their separate ways to turn in for the night. Lydia, Elaine, Lucy and Edmund lingered in the hall outside of their rooms a little longer than the eldest, but soon they all turned in for the night as well. But Lydia had a hard time falling asleep. Her mind was too occupied with thoughts of being a princess.

“What do you think it will be like to be a princess? Do you think it will be any different than what it’s like now?” a voice cut through the darkness. Clearly, Elaine wasn’t in the mindset for sleep either.

“I don’t know. But I’m excited. You too?” Lydia asked the voice in the dark.

“Of course! I’m excited to see what the knighting ceremony is like. I can’t wait to read all about it tomorrow.”

“You get excited over such different things than I do,” Lydia scoffed.

Elaine giggled but sobered quickly. “Odd, don’t you think, that Edmund felt the need to mention rules and consequences after Susan told us we would be made princesses.”

“Definitely odd,” she agreed, a little too late.

There was a rustle of sheets, as if Elaine were moving around in her bed. “Lydia, what really happened between you and Edmund that first day we stayed here?”

“I don’t really wanna talk about it…”

There was another rustle, and then suddenly a candle was lit on the nightstand between them.

“Lydia,” was the response. “I’m your best friend. We’ve been through so much together. Good or bad, whatever happened that day, you can tell me.”

“You have to promise not to tell anyone. Not anyone here, not anyone back in our own world when we get there,” Lydia demanded, propping herself up on her elbow so she could see Elaine’s face in the light of the candle.

“Of course!”

Lydia fell back into the pillows, staring at the ceiling. She could see in her peripheral vision that Elaine was still propped up on her side, watching her. “Remember last year? In Ms Smith’s class? Rebecca Wilson was teasing me on the playground because I got a math problem wrong.”

“Yeah, I remember. You slapped her in the face and got sent to the principal’s office. He told you that if someone is picking on you, you need to tell someone instead of acting out of violence. I remember. Your brother was angrier than the principal or Ms Smith was.”

“Yeah, Garrett was angry alright. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so mad. And he said if it happened again…” Lydia trailed off, remembering the conversation she had endured with her mother and Garrett that night. And somehow, she remembered the conversation with much less malice than she had felt at the time.

“I remember. You were angry at him. But…” Elaine was silent for a minute.

As Elaine was connecting the puzzle pieces together, Lydia confirmed her solution was correct. “Let’s just say Edmund carried out what Garrett only threatened.”

“Edmund gave you a spanking? But why?”

“During our tour that morning, I hadn’t fallen behind because of my ankle. I fell behind because I had snuck into the court room. And Edmund caught me. And then I tried to lie about it.”

“You’re brave then. For continuing to argue with him over things after that,” Elaine finally commented.

“But that’s the thing. I know he would only do something like that if it were deserved. He’s not cruel, really. He was very kind to me, despite what he brought me to his office for.”

“How do you feel about it now? I’ve noticed you and Edmund have become closer friends. You’re definitely closer to him than I am.”

“As you are with Susan,” Lydia acknowledged. “I don’t know. I’m kinda glad he did it though. I feel better. I don’t feel as angry all the time since he did.”

“Now that, I’ve noticed. I think everyone back home knows your dad’s absence has been the hardest on you. So, I think they’ve been scared to reign you in when you go on rampages.”

“Thanks for making me sound like a bull,” Lydia sighed.

“No, but I mean it, Lydia. Maybe you just needed someone to get your attention and hold you accountable for once. Edmund had no reason to be scared of your reactions to things. But your family has been so worried about upsetting you, they’ve let you get away with things you know your dad wouldn’t tolerate.”

The heaviness of the conversation was making Lydia sleepy. She yawned. “I guess that makes sense. All I know is, I don’t feel so angry anymore. And I trust Edmund so much. He’s been such a great friend.” She paused for a minute, letting her eyes rest. “And don’t you dare say anything about me liking him for more than that.”

Elaine giggled. “Not this time. But next time, definitely. And I promise Lydia, your secret is safe with me.”

“I love you Elaine. Thank you for being my best friend.”

“I love you too, Lydia. Now get some sleep. Tomorrow we start our journey to becoming princesses!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know where I want these next few chapters to go now. Writing this chapter helped me figure it out so I guess you could say this chapter is important. I wasn't going to write any more discipline scenarios in this story but would you like to see another one? Let me know if the comments whether you'd like to see another discipline chapter or not. If I don't get comments, I'll do whatever my own imagination leads me to :P


	12. Chapter 12

“If I have to read one more sentence about dancing a waltz, I think my eyes might bleed,” Edmund complained to Lydia as they walked down they hall together. Having skipped breakfast without Peter and Susan, the four youngest were becoming hungry, especially with the uninteresting readings they had been assigned boring them to notice their hunger further. Edmund had been the first to suggest taking a trip to the kitchens and Lucy had been all too willing to volunteer Lydia to accompany him. If Elaine wasn’t teasing Lydia about her relationship with the youngest king, than it was Lucy trying to play match maker. _They’re both relentless_ , she had thought to herself, as she headed out the door with Edmund.

Now on the way to the kitchen, Lydia giggled at Edmund’s dramatics. “But the dancing is the best part! I love dancing!”

“Dancing itself is okay,” Edmund explained. “It’s the reading about it part I’m not fond of. Have you danced a waltz before?” he asked.

“Oh yes! My mother made me and all three of my siblings take cotillion when we turned ten years old.”

“Oh. Well then, most of what we’re learning about is probably like cotillion. I think. But on a larger scale.”

“You’re right, it is. But that’s okay, it makes it easier to understand since I have practice. What’s the point of reading about something we have to do?”

Edmund shrugged. “That’s just Susan. She learns by reading, so she thinks everyone else should too. But I think it’s dumb. I didn’t learn to ride a horse by reading about it. I learned to ride a horse because I was thrown on one for the first time in the middle of a war.”

“Oh! I couldn’t. That would be awful. I don’t even like learning how to ride a horse now.”

Edmund grinned at her. “But you are learning. And you’re learning by actually riding a horse.”

“That’s because I have an excellent teacher.” Edmund didn’t say anything in response, but Lydia was pretty sure she noticed his cheeks turning slightly pink.

Once in the kitchens, they made quick work of stuffing their favorite breakfast items into a basket with dining ware and napkins. Once the basket was filled to the brim with muffins, pastries, bottles of juice, and fruits, they started their trek back to Lucy’s study, where they had taken up their revision session for the morning. They carried the basket between them, with each of them holding the handle with one hand.

“Oh good! Food!” Lucy exclaimed as they re-entered the study carrying their mid-morning picnic. The books were set to the side while everyone dug into their meal. They enjoyed their breakfast with a side of small talk and before long, the basket of goodies was empty aside from the used dishes and napkins.

“Have you ever learned to dance?” Lydia decided to ask her friends.

“You mean reading it from a textbook?” Edmund asked.

“No,” Lucy chimed in.

“Not I, said the hen,” Elaine agreed.

“Well then, no more book reading, let’s learn some basic ballroom dances,” Lydia declared. “C’mon, help me move this furniture.”

The desk and lounge areas were pushed back, and the rug rolled up to give them space to move around. “Edmund, you first,” Lydia said with a smile, as she looked toward her friend.

He looked taken aback. “Wait, why me? There are two other people here.”

“Because you’re the only boy in here. And I need a boy.” She approached him on the couch, took his hand, and pulled him up to the middle of the room. She tried to ignore the looks that both Lucy and Elaine were giving her as she positioned Edmund so that he was facing her. “Now, in any ballroom dance, the gentleman always leads. The lady follows. So, Edmund, you have to learn the basic steps so you can lead. Once you know them, whoever dances with you follows what you do. Everyone got it?” she lectured.

Elaine and Lucy nodded from their spots on the couch. “In a waltz, you put your left hand on my back…” She took his arm and wrapped it around her, so his hand had nowhere to be but on the small of her back. “And my left hand will rest on your shoulder. Now we clasp our other hands together. You lead with your right.”

Lydia coached Edmund through a basic step, allowing him to gain confidence in leading the dance. Once she was sure he had it, she let go of his hand. “Lucy, your turn.”

“So, I get to sit?” Edmund asked excitedly.

“No, you’re going to practice by leading Lucy. And Lucy,” she said, turning toward her. “You have the difficult job now. You follow. That’s it. Wherever he tells you to go, you go. Okay?”

Lucy nodded. “Alright, I’ll count you in.” Lydia began counting, watching the siblings do a basic waltz across the floor. “Lucy, you’re trying to lead. Stop, just follow. Edmund, push her, tell her where you want her to go.”

They stopped moving. “Push her? That sounds aggressive,” Edmund commented.

Lydia nudged Lucy out of the way. “It’s not aggressive. Look, I’ll show you. I’m going to be the boy for a minute. So, you need to stand like the girl.” They adjusted their positions, so Lydia was now in a position to lead. “If I step back, the hand on your back is going to push forward. So, what does your body do in response?”

“It moves forward,” Edmund observed, feeling the movements as Lydia led.

“Correct. So, you’re not really pushing, just gently nudging.” She moved her arm so that she was once again in a position to follow. “Your turn. Lead me.” She started counting again, allowing Edmund to lead her across the floor. “Excellent! You’ve got it!” Lydia cheered. “So now we’ll switch again.”

This time, she had Elaine pair up with Edmund and she took paired herself with Lucy. “I’ll be the boy so you can practice following,” she told her. “And Elaine, you’re with Edmund so you can have a chance to practice with a boy.”

The two pairs twirled around the room, practicing the most basic of waltz steps, but improving with every move made. And that is how Peter and Susan found them when they arrived back at the castle for lunch.

“Well this is not exactly what I meant by studying,” Susan interrupted, catching their attention suddenly. “But at least you’re getting practical skills.”

“We are!” Lucy cried with excitement.

“Su, watch this!” Edmund exclaimed, switching out with Elaine and taking up Lydia’s hand. The count began, and Edmund began leading Lydia around the room, the eyes of everyone else following them. As they danced around the room, Lydia began humming a simple tune. This was comfortable. She could remember practicing this very dance with her father in her family’s living room. When she danced, she felt confident. She felt happy. She felt safe. It was just a coincidence that she was sharing this moment with Edmund.

They came to a stop and Lydia was brought back to the present by the sound of applause. “I’m impressed with how quickly you picked that up,” Susan commented. “Edmund, you looked graceful.”

He beamed. “Thank you. But I had a great teacher.”  


	13. Chapter 13

Lydia paced in front of the door to the court room. “You’re going to wear a hole in the floor,” Elaine giggled, watching her.

She paused in her pacing. “How are you not nervous? You don’t even like getting in front of people,” Lydia accused.

Elaine shrugged. “I don’t have to talk. All I have to do is follow everyone else. I can handle walking in a line. No pressure there.” As she trailed off the end of her statement, Lydia noticed she was no longer looking at her, but something behind her. She turned to see Edmund approaching them. He looked…handsome? Lydia was used to seeing him in casual clothing or his dress robes. But today he was garbed in the uniform of the Narnian army, a scarlet red tunic with the Narnian lion in the center, grey trousers, and chain mail under armor.

“Ladies,” he said, bowing. Elaine curtsied. A little too late, Lydia followed and curtsied as well.

Edmund looked down at the floor. “Hmm, I agree with Elaine. It looks like there is already a bit of discoloration here on the carpet,” he smirked.

Lydia hit his shoulder playfully. “Not funny! But what if I forget what I’m supposed to do? I forgot to curtsy just now. And people aren’t watching.”

He grabbed her by the shoulders, grabbing her attention. She looked up into his eyes. “When I attended a ceremony for the first time to be made king, I had no training. You’ll be fine. Just follow everyone else,” he assured.

“But what if I trip? Or do something dumb?”

The pressure on her shoulders increased just slightly. It helped her block out the world. She felt grounded, and the tension left her body. “Then you get back up again. It happens. Follow everyone else, and you’ll be just fine.”

The large palace clock chimed, and Edmund retrieved a pocket watch and flipped it open. “I’ve got to go around to the front, and you need to line up. Good luck, I’ll see you inside.” He pulled her into a hug and then gave Elaine a quick embrace as well. She watched him leave, headed back down the hallway he had come from, until he disappeared around a corner. Where he would go from there, she did not know. All she knew was that she would see him again in a few moments, along with Peter, Susan, and Lucy.

She walked with Elaine to the back of the line, past all the Narnians who were here to be knighted. She smoothed her dress down, and tugged on her hair, hoping she looked presentable. Elaine put a hand on her. “Stop. You’re fine. Just enjoy the moment. Lydia, you’re going to be a real princess!” Elaine whispered.

Lydia smiled slightly. She was excited. Beyond all the nerves, she was thrilled to be a princess. _It’s just like dancing,_ she thought to herself. _The only difference is, instead of dancing, I have to kneel. That’s all. I can do this._

The double doors were opened, and Lydia could hear a flute and drum tune playing from inside the room. That was the cue for the candidates to enter. The line of Narnians moved as the processional began. In no time, Lydia was following Elaine into the court room. Lydia recognized the room from before, but it was strange to be in it with permission. All eyes of the guests in each tier were glued to the processional. _Don’t trip, don’t trip,_ Lydia’s thoughts echoed as she descended the stairs one at a time. The processional was led by Mr. Tumnus, down the staircase to the bottom floor and each of the candidates lined up along the wall facing the thrones. Mr. Tumnus crossed in front of the line and stopped to stand at the end of it, next to Lydia. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. So far, so good.

The song that was being played came to an end and a voice she remembered from the court hearing spoke up. “Please rise, for the Kings and Queens of Narnia!” A door to her right she had not noticed before, rose up. “High King Peter, the Magnificent.” Peter walked in through the door, stepped up on the platform, bowed to the line of candidates, and then retreated to stand in front of his throne. Lydia remembered the platform from before, where the girl who had been on trial had been chained. The chains were gone now, thankfully.

“Queen Susan, the Gentle.” Susan entered the room then, following the same routine Peter had, before standing before her throne. “King Edmund, the Just.” Lydia felt a jolt in her chest at the name, and she watched intently as Edmund entered the room, took the stand, bowed to the processional, and retreated to his throne. “And Queen Lucy, the Valiant.” Finally, Lucy entered, following the same routine her siblings before her had. Lydia had never seen Lucy so formal. She actually looked and was behaving like a queen for the first time since Lydia had met her.

All eyes were on Peter now. As soon as he took a seat, the rest of his siblings did as well. “You may be seated,” the voice announced to the court room.

The Narnians in the rows above made a motion to sit down, for those who could. Lydia followed the lead of the rest of the candidates, kneeling down on both knees, settling on her feet.

When the rustling of movement died down, Peter rose and approached the platform. “We are gathered here today,” he began, in a powerful voice. “To recognize and honor those who have gone above and beyond in their service to the country of Narnia and to welcome into Cair Paravel, two princesses of Aslan’s royal court.” The audience in the stands let out a cheer. Lydia was beaming with excitement. Peter’s voice carried out through the room once more. “To become a knight of Narnia, one must serve our country to the highest degree. Often, these Narnians face trials and tribulations that keep those of us back home safe and sound. To be knighted is one of the highest honors a Narnian can receive.”

There was another round of cheering. “Let us first recognize those candidates who will be knighted for service to Cair Paravel. Those of you who are being recognized, please step forward.” The first three of the Narnians in the processional stood and joined Peter on the platform. A centaur Lydia recognized from the trial to be Firestar, came down from the lowest tier of the rotunda and stood next to Peter. Susan came forward as well and stood to Peter’s other side.

Lydia was starting to feel uncomfortable sitting on her knees. She shifted her weight to her feet and turned her attention back to the group in front of her. When each name was called, the Narnian addressed would kneel, Firestar would rest his sword on first the left shoulder and then the right, and then they would stand and allow Susan to place a medallion around their neck. The next four Narnians were called forward for service to allies, and each of them were honored in the same way as the first three.

Lydia was growing positively uncomfortable. She had shifted back to her knees again but was itching to stand. The final group of three Narnians were called forward for enduring injury to save others, and they too were honored as the other seven had been. When all three of them stood once more, Lucy rose, and honored each of them with a small crystal vial, “An offering of healing for the sacrifices you’ve made,” she whispered sweetly, to each of the three.

And at long last, Susan and Lucy returned to their thrones, and Peter addressed the crowd once more. “And now let us welcome our newest royal family members. Please rise and step forward.” Lydia stood, and her legs felt like jelly. Whether from kneeling for so long or from nerves, she wasn’t quite sure. She stepped up on to the platform with Elaine by her side.

Peter stepped back, and Edmund rose and came forward. He first stood in front of Elaine, and took hold of her arm, with her doing the same. Tumnus came forward and wrapped a gold chain around their interlocked arms. “In the name of Aslan,” Edmund began. “Do you Elaine, promise and covenant before these witnesses, to be a loving and faithful princess of Narnia, in plenty and want, joy and sorrow, sickness and health, as long as you shall remain in this world and this land?”

Elaine replied in a barely discernible whisper, “I do.” The golden chain was unlaced, and they let their arms fall. Edmund bowed to Elaine and she curtsied back.

Now it was Lydia’s turn and her heart was aflutter. She had practiced what she was supposed to do a few times, but she was still nervous. Edmund stepped before her and offered his arm out to her. She grasped his forearm as he grasped her, just as Elaine had done moments before. Tumnus wrapped the golden chain around their interlocked arms and then took a step back. Lydia looked from her arm, holding tightly to Edmund’s, up to meet his eyes. “In the name of Aslan, do you Lydia, promise and covenant before these witnesses, to be a loving and faithful princess of Narnia, in plenty and want, joy and sorrow, sickness and health, as long as you shall remain in this world and this land?” Despite everyone watching her, Lydia felt as though the world were melting away. It was just her and Edmund in that moment.

“I do,” she whispered to him. The chain was unlaced, and she unwrapped her fingers from his forearm. He bowed to her, and she curtsied back.

He took a step between them and addressed the crowd. “To you, these witnesses, do you promise to love, encourage, and support these daughters of Eve and your sisters of Narnia by teaching them the love of Aslan, by being an example in character, and by giving the strong support of the land of Narnia in fellowship and service? If you so choose them, I present to you your new princesses of Narnia.”

Lydia could see through her peripheral vision, Narnian creatures throughout the court room either standing or bowing in honor. That was it then; They had the approval of the court. Lydia and Elaine were officially princesses.

Edmund stepped back and Peter stepped forward once more. This was another cue. Watching Elaine through her peripherals, Lydia knelt down and bowed her head, in honor of her now superior royal. Edmund placed a tiara of gold sunflowers atop Elaine’s head. The tiara he placed atop her own head was one of gold and silver delphiniums. As the tiara was placed, she looked up at Edmund through her lashes, smiling brightly. “Rise, Princesses of Narnia,” Peter declared before a thunderous applause. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The proceedings here are based on religious ceremonies for marriage and baptism. I just thought I should mention that. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter. I'm really proud of how it turned out.


	14. Chapter 14

“That was so cool!” Lydia, said twirling into Peter’s office and falling onto the couch with an air of dramatics.

“And you were worried for nothing. You did very well,” Susan assured with a smile.

“She does tend to have a flair for the dramatics,” Edmund snickered. Lydia stuck her tongue out at him.

Peter laughed as well. “I figured we’d celebrate by eating up here in private, if that is alright with everyone else?” he asked.

The others agreed, and so the bell on Peter’s desk was rung. A few minutes later, someone came by to take their order, and within a half hour, they were feasting on roasted turkey, a vegetable medley, freshly baked bread, and a Narnian fruit called a rowly, which was ‘high in essential vitamins and minerals,’ according to Edmund.

“So, what did you think of the ceremony?” Lucy asked, as she chewed through a bite of vegetables.

“Chew with your mouth closed, Lu,” Susan admonished.

“Sorry,” Lucy said after she swallowed. “So, what did you think?” she asked again.

“I’d love to see one from a Narnian’s perspective,” Elaine commented. "I imagine it would be a completely different experience. But being a part of it was pretty fascinating too.”

“Well, the knighting ceremony wouldn’t have looked much different.”

“That’s a good point,” Elaine agreed.

Lydia fingered the tiara resting on her head. “It just feels so magical. I’m really a princess and it’s so unreal.”

“I promise, it’s real.” Peter assured. “And you both did so well.”

Elaine pulled her tiara off her head. “Is there significance to the flowers?”

“There is,” Susan agreed. “Good for you for guessing that. But we’re not going to tell you their meanings for now. I want to see if you can figure it out.”

Elaine and Lydia exchanged a look. “How will we figure it out?” Lydia asked, puzzled.

“Similar to our titles, they relate to your personalities,” Susan explained. “But, I’ll make a deal. If you still haven’t figured out what the flowers mean by the day of the ball, I’ll tell you that night. But you have to do some soul searching and try to figure it out.”

“Speaking of the ball, we should talk about that. Because it’s coming up in a few weeks,” Peter spoke up, changing the subject.

“Can we decorate?” Lucy shouted out.

“Just don’t overdo it, Lu. We’re welcoming guests from another country in this world, we don’t want to scare them off,” Edmund chided.

“I won’t scare them off! But Peter promised!”

 “Did I?” Peter asked, caught off guard. “I don’t remember using the word promise. But we’ll discuss that Lucy. You and Lydia are welcome to help prepare for the ball if you so choose. You all are. However, more importantly right now, we have rules and policies to attend to.

“Why are there so many rules here?” Lydia groaned.

Peter chuckled. Edmund gave her a hard stare that she hoped was missed by everyone else. “Well, you are living in a place of politics now,” he pointed out. “You expect certain things from your president back at home, and likewise, the Narnians have expectations of us as kings and queens, and for you, princesses, as well.

“But nonetheless, these are simpler than the procedures for the knighting ceremony. In essence, they just address how to enter and the first dance. Otherwise, you should just enjoy yourself. You of all people, Lydia, should feel more than comfortable at a ball, given your experiences in cotillion.”

“That’s fair,” Lydia finally conceded. “So, what do we have to do when we enter?”

“We enter in co-ed pairs,” Susan explained. “Now there are six of us total, and only two boys. That being said, I would suggest Peter and Edmund lead in Elaine and Lydia, and Lucy and I will be led in by Narnian men.”

Lucy’s eyes lit up. “May Tumnus lead me in?” she asked.

Peter bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Naturally. And Susan, you could be led in by Firestar?”

Susan nodded this time. “Sounds perfect to me.”

“So, once we enter, then what happens?” Elaine asked.

“There will be a platform with thrones at the front. We will each take our seat and then someone will announce the guests of honor. When they are announced, we stand, bow or curtsy to them. Once they’ve all entered, we have the first dance with whomever you’ve walked in with. Halfway through the dance, in the break of the music, you will switch and partner with one of the guests of honor,” Susan described. “That’s it for entering. At the end, everyone lines up with their escorts and walks back out to a sitting room at the back of the ballroom. It’s much simpler than what we just did.”

“That sounds simple enough,” Edmund said.

“The only other thing I ask of all of us, is that during the event, we all need to stay in the ballroom. If you need to leave for anything, let somebody know. Or better yet, take someone with you as well. The ball will be crowded, and I want to know where everyone is at all times,” Peter declared. “It’s more for safety than anything else, but it is the only rule I really have for the night. Is that fair?” Everyone agreed.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late. Again. January is hitting hard. I'll try to be on time with my next update.

The day before the ball, Peter made the executive decision that everyone would take the day off. Everyone, including Lydia and Elaine had been working long hours preparing for the guests. While everyone else had their usual duties to attend to, Lydia and Elaine were put in charge of overseeing the event itself. Lydia found that it was something she quite enjoyed doing. There was a lot that went into planning an event like a ball, including setting a menu, decorating, and organizing the furniture in the ballroom. 

“I think we’re just about done with the decorations,” Lydia told Edmund as they walked together down the castle corridors to prepare for the day’s outing. “It was kind of scary to be up in the rafters though. I was so worried I might fall.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” he commented. “Especially because you’re clumsy.”

Lydia stuck her tongue out at him. “I just pretended I was balancing on a gymnastics beam.”

“If only you were as graceful on a horse as you say you are in pointe shoes.”

“I don’t want to be graceful on a horse, Ed. I have no reason to be. I can just ride with other people.”

“Like Lucy?”

“Do you think I could ride with you today?” Lydia asked. She wasn’t sure why she had asked, but something in her heart told her to try.

“Sure, that could be fun,” he shrugged in agreement. Lydia felt a renewed surge of happiness as she prepared for their day at the river. As soon as she was dressed to swim, she found herself back at Edmund’s office. 

“Come on, Edmund! We need to get out to the stables to meet everyone else. They’re going to be looking for us.”

“Dia, it’s fine, they aren’t going to leave without us.” 

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” she muttered, thinking of Elaine and Lucy’s insistence that there was something more between them. But she couldn’t help but smile at Edmund’s use of the nickname he had adopted for her. It made her feel special to know that she was important enough to him to have a nickname. Elaine didn’t have a nickname. 

He shoved the documents he had been working on earlier that morning into his desk drawer and locked it. “Okay, I’m ready.”

They made their way through the palace and out to the stables, their arms linked. Lucy bombarded Lydia as soon as she saw them. “Do you mind riding with me?” she asked without any introduction. “I want to talk but I don’t want to be overheard by anyone. It’s a secret. Hopefully you weren’t planning on riding by yourself.”

“Lu, I don’t know what you’re planning but it better be something Peter and Susan would approve of,” Edmund warned, giving her a hard look. 

Lucy only smiled. “Of course, it is, Edmund. So? What do you think, Lydia?”

“Okay, sure,” Lydia answered, slightly confused and slightly disappointed at her lost opportunity to ride with Edmund. She said her hellos to Molly before mounting the mare, feeling proud of her ability to finally do it by herself. Lucy jumped on in front of her to lead. 

With a ‘Race ya, Elaine,’ from Edmund, the first two took off at a canter, followed soon after by Peter and Susan, leaving Lucy and Lydia lingering behind. “So,” Lucy began now that there was no chance any of the other four would overhear her. “You and Edmund are pretty close friends now.”

Lydia groaned. “Lu, do we have to go here now? Why are you and Elaine relentless?”

“What do you mean we’re relentless?” she asked innocently. “I’ve just noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time with my brother.”

Lydia couldn’t resist a smile and she was grateful that Lucy couldn’t see her while riding in front. “Yeah,” she finally gave in. “I like Edmund. He’s a good friend.”

“But you fancy him as more than a friend.”

“Where are you going with this Lucy?”

“Well, I think you both fancy each other but you just don’t see it. And you won’t admit to it. But if Elaine is really pestering you too, then I’m not the only one who sees it.”

Lydia was silent, thinking. “Elaine has been on my case about Edmund since we got to Narnia, to be honest. But I don’t really understand how I feel about him, Lucy. And that’s the truth.”

“Ooh!” Lucy squealed. “Tell me, Tell me!”

“You know it’s hard to tell you when you’re so excited about it.”

“Lydia,” Lucy said, her tone softening. “I’m your friend too. You can tell me.”

“It’s just hard to explain, Lucy. I enjoy spending time with him. When I can’t be with him, I miss him. I enjoy talking to him. I think he’s so smart and thoughtful and kind. I even enjoy arguing with him,” she said, thinking to himself. Of course, provided the arguing didn’t actually get her into trouble. “I don’t know. It just seems like he understands me in a way nobody else does. It’s hard to explain, Lucy.”

“Aww! That’s so sweet,” she gushed. 

“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean anything. I don’t even know what my feelings are. And I have no way of knowing what his feelings are either.”

“I have a little confession. I know he fancies you the same way you fancy him. He accidentally let it slip and then I pestered him for details. I’m surprised he told me since he knows I’m your friend.”

“I’m friends with all of you. I’m just closer to you and Edmund because Peter is kinda like a dad and Susan is too smart. Plus, they are both much older. But Lucy, should you have told me what Edmund told you in private?”

“Maybe not,” she answered. “But I think it’s so lovely that you both fancy each other. It’s so romantic. And now you’ll be going to the ball together tomorrow. It’s going to be wonderful.”

“Lucy, you can’t say anything to Edmund. You have to keep it a secret. I don’t want it to mess up our friendship.”

“I promise, Lydia. See, that’s the difference. Edmund didn’t make me promise.” Lydia rolled her eyes. 

The conversation ended and so Molly picked up speed. A few moments later, they caught up with Peter and Susan and moments after they finally met up with Elaine and Edmund at the river. 

“So, who won the race?” Susan asked, dismounting. 

Edmund grumbled. “We’re not going to talk about that.”

Peter chuckled. “That answers the question then. Elaine won.”

Lucy had dismounted during the conversation, but Lydia was still sitting atop the horse. “Um…can someone help me? Please?” she asked. 

Loss forgotten, Edmund sprinted over to Molly and Lydia. “Here, I’ve got you,” he said. He put his hands gently around her waist as she jumped, so she was able to safely land on the ground.  
She smiled her thanks, and they walked over to join the group. After a quick meal, Lydia was the first to rush over to the river. The water was cold, as it had been before, but she was happy to sit on the rocks in the middle of the river, letting her legs fall into the freezing water below. She pulled her dress up so it wouldn’t get wet. 

A little while later, Edmund came to join her and sat down next to her on the rock. “How was your ride with Lucy?” he asked. 

“She’s persistent when she wants something,” Lydia said with a slight smile.

“What did she want?” Lydia thought about how to tell him without actually telling him what the conversation had been about. “Well, it must have been interesting, you’re blushing,” he said with a slight smile. 

“I guess she’s just really happy you’re my escort for the ball,” she finally explained. 

“That doesn’t surprise me. I guess that’s what she wanted? I wonder why…A” he wondered aloud. “I guess it could just be because she has a sentimental attachment to attending royal events with Tumnus.”

“I dunno,” Lydia whispered, grateful that he had his own explanation. “Maybe.”

“Think the water is too cold for swimming?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Definitely. My feet are already turning to ice blocks,” Lydia joked. 

“At least this time it’s not medically necessary for your foot to be exposed to cold,” Elaine commented as she and Lucy joined them in the water. 

“That’s true. It’s much more enjoyable this way.” 

Susan and Peter came to join them, and they all enjoyed wading around the river and chatting amongst themselves. True to her word, Lucy did not mention their conversation to Edmund or any of the others the entire afternoon or once they returned to Cair Paravel for the evening. For that, Lydia was thankful.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very short. Bare with me. We're nearing some very important chapters.

Everyone woke up much later the day of the ball. They had decided the evening before that it would be best to sleep in so they would be well rested for the long day and night ahead of them. But as soon as everyone had risen and dined, the castle was bustling with activity. Susan and Elaine were assisting where needed in the kitchens, helping out the staff to prepare for the evening meal. Edmund went to meet a visitor in his office for a business meeting before the ball. And Peter took Lucy and Lydia with him to the ballroom to go through the evening’s agenda and menu one last time. 

While Peter discussed with the evening’s proceedings with Firestar, Lucy and Lydia put the final touches on the decorations, making sure everything was as it should be. Tables were set with porcelain plates, silver cutlery, cloth napkins, and crystal goblets. The burlap and lace bows on the back of each chair were straightened and touched up. And finally, Lydia herself danced and skipped her way amongst the tables, making sure the paths were clear for guests to make their way to the dance floor. 

When the last-minute preparations were complete, the girls all went to Susan and Lucy’s quarters to get dressed for the ball. It wasn’t enough to just wear the dresses they would normally wear. They would have to wear ball gowns, their hair would have to be styled, and they would have to be wearing perfume. While this would be easy for Susan and Elaine, Lydia knew she and Lucy would have a much harder time pulling off such a formal look. Lydia only hoped she could easily dance in her outfit. She did hope to steal plenty of Edmund’s time dancing during the ball. 

Lucy had been put in charge of hair styling, as she had the best skill in working with hair. So, while the other three girls took turns sitting in front of Lucy for their turn getting their hair done, those who were not being made up snacked on treats that had been sent up from the kitchens. They were skipping lunch to be prepared for the feast at the ball, but they needed something to hold them over. Susan did Lucy’s hair first giving the youngest time to snack as well. 

“Alright Lydia, it’s your turn,” Lucy said once she stood, gesturing to the empty stool. “I have to get you dolled up for your date.”

Lydia rolled her eyes but took a seat on the stool. “Date?” Susan asked, puzzled.

“Yes, of course,” Lucy said as if they were discussing something as obvious as the color of the sky on a sunny day. “She’s going to the ball tonight with Edmund.”

“Lucy,” Susan’s voice came out stern. “We’re all going together. Nobody is going on a date.”

Lucy shrugged. “I mean, yes. But do you plan to spend much time with Firestar beyond entering the ballroom?” As she spoke, she worked on pulling Lydia’s hair back into a top ponytail, leaving most of her hanging loose beneath it. 

“No, but that’s different,” Susan argued. “Firestar is a political advisor; he isn’t a member of our family.”

Lucy looked at Susan through the glass of the mirror, holding her gaze as if staring her down for a moment. “You can’t tell me you don’t see it, Su.”

“If Lydia wants attention from Edmund or vice versa, they can get it without your interference, Lucy. Don’t meddle.”

Lydia caught Lucy’s eye in the mirror and stuck out her tongue. Lucy did the same, as she finished the Lydia’s ringlet of braided hair. Thankfully, Susan was no longer looking at Lucy to witness the exchange. 

With her hair finished, Lydia swapped placed with Elaine, taking a seat next to Susan by the table piled high with treats. “What if I do, want his attention?” Lydia said ever so softly. Her voice was much too low to be heard by anyone but Susan, especially now that Elaine and Lucy were chatting away. 

Susan gave her a soft smile. “I think you already have his attention, more than you know. But just be yourself.” 

“What if he doesn’t like who I am as myself?” Lydia thought back to some of the numerous verbal spars she had taken up with Edmund when she had first met him. But was she just arguing with him for the sake of arguing? Was she being herself or was she putting on a front? She wasn’t even sure anymore. “I don’t even know what myself is…”

“There will be parts of who you are that he will not like. And there will be parts of him that you don’t like. As long as the things you do like about each other outweigh what you don’t like, that’s all that matters. You don’t need to change for each other. You are Lydia. Not Elaine. Not Lucy. Not Susan. Be Lydia.”


	17. Chapter 17

The girls did not see the boys again until an hour before the ball. While all four girls were dressed in the finest ball gowns, both of the boys had dawned their best tunics as well. “You look very lovely, all of you,” Peter said, bowing slightly to the four young ladies.“Thank you,” Elaine said with a curtsy, enjoying the compliment. “I’m so excited! I’ve never been to a royal ball before.”

“I’m excited too,” Peter agreed. “Everyone knows what they are to do to enter the ballroom and greet our guests?” The five younger ones all nodded in agreement. “Perfect. We’re going to have a wonderful time. Just remember, if you need to leave for any reason, let someone know and take someone with you. Guests have been arriving for hours already and I certainly don’t want anyone getting lost or hurt.”

With nods of agreement, the six royals took off down the corridor. Lydia hung back, hoping Edmund would do the same. “You look beautiful,” Edmund complemented as the rest of the group fell ahead of them. He offered her his elbow and she took it.

“Thanks,” she blushed. “You too. I mean. You look handsome,” she said to her toes. Why did she suddenly feel so clueless how to talk with him? Dresses were so stupid sometimes. That was literally the only difference. But he did look very handsome. His tunic was a lovely forest green and it complemented her silver gown almost perfectly. Knowing Susan and her knack for detail, this had probably been an intentional choice.

“I’m feeling kind of nervous, if I’m honest. What about you?” Edmund asked, easing into a light-hearted conversation.

“Oh, I’m so excited! This is going to be wonderful! But why are you nervous?”

“I’m not the best dancer,” he confessed. “And I’m going to have to dance in front of everyone.”

Lydia nudged him gently. “You’re going to be fine, I promise. You’ve practiced and you’ve gotten really good.”

He smiled devilishly. “I guess you could say dancing for me is like horseback riding for you.”

Lydia scoffed. “I disagree. They are completely different.”

“You have a point. One of them is an important mode of transportation. The other is purely recreational. You’re right, they are different,” Edmund smirked.

“I can’t ride horses to get around in New York City. I can, however, make a career out of ballroom dancing,” Lydia argued back.

“Ladies don’t need careers. They need families.”

“This is the 1940s. I can have a career if I want to.”

“And I suppose you’re going to tell me woman can be physicians?”

It was Lucy who broke up their playful argument. “Come on guys! Everyone is waiting on you.” Peter and Elaine were already lined up, followed by Susan and Firestar. Lucy and Tumnus had left a gap in the lineup for Edmund and Lydia to squeeze through.

“Is this what it’s like to wait in the wings, Lydia?” Elaine whispered from the front, as everyone stood in line, waiting not-so-patiently.

“It’s a lot like this,” Lydia whispered back. “But here we have light. And a door to keep us from being seen.”

The ballroom guards pulled the large double doors open just in time for them to hear a booming voice announce, “Please rise, for the Kings, Queens, and Princesses of Narnia!”

One pair after another, they entered the ballroom. Like a wave, the guests all lowered in a bow as they passed. When they arrived at the front of the ballroom, they parted in opposite directions, Peter and Elaine going to the right, Susan and Firestar to the left, and Edmund and Lydia following the first two to the right. Up the risers they went, and Edmund made sure Lydia was seated before taking up his own throne. Once Lucy and Tumnus had taken their seats, the booming voice rose again.

“Citizens of Narnia, please welcome our allies from the West, Queen Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield and Oskan the Warlock.” The pair entered from the door at the opposite end of the back of the hall but made their way down the same center path as the Narnian royals had. When they arrived to the front, they bowed to the royals, who bowed and curtsied in return. The pattern repeated until each of the royal guests from the allied countries had entered.

The doors clicked closed and the orchestra started playing a tune in triple time. Edmund rose and offered Lydia his arm. Carefully, they walked to the dance floor with the rest of the royal parties and began their waltz around the circle outlined by guests.

“Don’t forget you’re dancing the part of the lady this time,” Edmund whispered to her as they danced.

“I remember,” she smiled softly. “I’ll let you lead.” Once or twice, their gazes would stray to their feet moving below them, the guests surrounding them, or the other dancers on the floor. But for most of their first dance, their eyes never left each other’s.

As the song died, and a new one picked up, Edmund passed her off to one of the visiting royals, as part of tradition, and he joined another. Lydia found herself dancing with an older gentleman, who had cinnamon colored skin, black hair, and emerald eyes, dressed in a tunic of grasses and shells and a head-dress of feathers. He was certainly handsome, but she certainly wished to be back with Edmund.

“How are you tonight, princess?” he greeted, leading her in her second dance of the night.

“I’m wonderful, thank you,” she whispered back. “Welcome to Narnia, by the way.” They continued to make small talk throughout the dance, and Lydia learned the man was from a small matriarchal tribal nation called Hypolita, and he was the consort to the country’s leader, the Basilea. She marveled that in all of her time here in Narnia, she had never heard of the places these royals represented. She still knew so little of the world she was currently inhabiting. Suddenly, Lydia felt very small and very insignificant.

At the close of their dance, Lydia bowed to her partner and retreated, mind set to finding Edmund. Instead, she found Elaine. “Dance with me?” Elaine asked, grabbing Lydia’s hand and pulling her back to the dance floor without a response. Now that the first two dances were over, the dance floor was now filled with pairs of guests.

“So, which of us is the boy?” Lydia asked giggling, already sure she knew the answer.

  
“You, of course. I only know how to dance a girls’ part,” Elaine replied, taking Lydia’s hand in hers. Lydia wrapped her arm around her friend’s waist, and they began dancing.

“How were your first two dances?” Elaine asked conversationally as they moved around the floor. “You and Edmund seemed to really be enjoying each other’s’ company.”

Lydia couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes. “I enjoyed it. I hope I get to dance with him more. And during the second dance, I danced with the Basilea’s consort from the country Hypolita. What about you?”

“I danced with a werewolf. I must say, that is an experience you don’t get every day,” Elaine exclaimed. “And I really enjoyed dancing with Peter. I’m glad he’s my escort tonight. Being with him makes me really wish I had a brother.”

  
“You can have mine,” Lydia offered, curtsying out of the dance. The two took hands and wandered off the floor, Lydia set on finding refreshments.

  
“I’ll take Garrett. You can keep Alexander,” Elaine suggested.

  
“That’s cuz you like Garrett. In the same way I definitely don’t like Edmund.” Lydia countered.

  
“See, you’re admitting to it,” Elaine said, taking a goblet and thanking the faun who had offered it to her. “You like Edmund as more than a friend.”

  
“You just did too,” Lydia smiled back. “You like Garrett as more than my brother.”

  
Elaine leant over to whisper in her ear. “You can’t prove it,” and then she flitted away, leaving Lydia to herself once more.

  
Lydia went back to her original mission of finding Edmund. She let her eyes wander, scanning the crowd for his familiar black hair. Back at their table, she spotted him, sitting next to a girl with flaming red locks. Lydia wondered who he could possibly be talking to?

  
As soon as she was within Edmund’s line of vision, he perked up. “Lydia, there you are!” To Lydia’s delight, he offered her his hand, which she gratefully took. “I wanted to introduce you to Queen Thirrin.” He gestured to the red-head who she remembered from the opening entrance. He turned back to the foreign queen. “Queen Thirrin, this is Princess Lydia, my guest of honor for the evening.”

  
Lydia curtsied. “Pleasure to meet you, Queen Thirrin. Welcome to Narnia.”

The queen nodded her head in response. “You as well, Princess. And this is my escort, Oskan the Warlock.” The young man with the queen bowed to Lydia at his introduction. “King Edmund and I have been discussing foreign policy,” Thirrin continued. “He was a great ally during our war. I do not believe I would have had such success over the Polypontian Empire if not for his excellent military strategy.”

Lydia smiled slightly, appreciating the compliment for him. “I’d love to hear more about it,” she politely said.

“But if you’ll excuse us for a moment, might I have a dance with my princess?” Edmund requested from the couple adjacent them.

Lydia was thrilled as the other pair of royals stood, deciding to join them on the dance floor. This time, the music took up a foxtrot rhythm, a bit more of a lively dance for the couples on the floor to partake in.

“Having fun so far?” Edmund asked as he spun her around the dance floor.

“Yes I am. I’ve met so many people already. Your allies brought their other allies!”

He chuckled. “Yeah, it is quite busy. Even I didn’t expect there to be this many guests.” He smiled at her cheekily. “Perhaps they are all here to meet the new princesses.”

Flattered, Lydia smiled softly. “I doubt it. They are here to thank you and your siblings for your assistance. I wasn’t even here to know what war you assisted in.”

The dance ended and they retreated once more to the front of the ballroom. Lydia, for her part, was grateful for an opportunity to sit. She had been on her feet since the ball had started almost two hours ago. Rather than going to his own seat, Edmund sat down next to Lydia and Queen Thirrin and Oskan sat across from them.

“So, King Edmund, I’ve heard you had to address a case of treason with the high courts?” Queen Thirrin asked conversationally once they were all settled.

Edmund leaned forward, crossing his arms in front of him. “Unfortunately, yes. She came from…”

Lydia tuned out. This was a topic she definitely did not want to hear discussed, especially not after her accidental involvement in the court hearing. She let her eyes wander around the room, appreciating the fruits of the hard work she had put into preparing for the event.

“So Princess Lydia.” She was brought back to the present by the voice of Oskan. “Tell me about yourself. I hear you are from the same other world as the Pevensie Royals.”  
Lydia recapped her arrival in Narnia to the warlock. She left out some of the less than pleasant details in her tale, but kept the gist of the story true. “In fact, I hear you have healing powers? I probably could have used those in the first few weeks I was here.”

He nodded his acknowledgement. “I do have the power to heal or hurt. Magic is dangerous in that it revolves so heavily around choice. The darkness calls to me as it does for many. But I choose to heal those in need instead.”

“That sounds like a big choice to make. I don’t know if I could make a choice like that,” Lydia mused aloud.

“You are still so young, Princess. You will one day be faced with a choice. It might not weigh as heavily as the choice between dark or light magic. But it will weigh on you all the same.”  
He probably didn’t mean to be so morose, Lydia reflected, but the conversation certainly put a weight in her mind. So, she was relieved when Peter came to ask her for a dance this time. She departed the other three, her hand in Peter’s.

As he took her on to the floor, he wrapped his arm around her waist and began leading her in a waltz. “You looked as though you needed a rescue,” he smiled knowingly.

She smirked. “Thank you. Oskan is very kind, but he speaks very ominously.”

“I do recall that from my meetings with him before. He is very wise, certainly. But I believe the power he has been graced with weighs heavily on him. Magic is a force that I’m honestly grateful I don’t have any power over. Laws of magic made me king, but I have no control over it.”

“I’m getting tired,” she admitted after a few seconds of silence between them.

“We still have a long night ahead of us. We’ll leave before the guests, but we won’t be cleared to return to our quarters until everyone has left. Perhaps you can sneak a nap on a couch in the parlor.”

“Do we get to change clothes in the parlor?”

“I suppose I can request a change of clothes be brought down to wait for you. I might ask Elaine if she’d like one as well. And perhaps Lucy would appreciate it too.”

The song ended and Lydia curtsied out of the dance. “Thank you, Peter. I would appreciate that.”

He nodded. “I should be finding my guest of honor. Come find me if you need anything, alright?” He kissed her on the forehead, and then departed.

After making a round or two around the ballroom chatting politely with guests, Lydia was beginning to feel agitated. She could see from where she was that Edmund was still engaged in deep conversation. Her dress was feeling itchy. Her feet hurt. She could not bear to make any more small talk with any more strangers and the music was simply becoming too much to tolerate.  
She wandered off, away from the dance floor and the tables she had set so carefully and retreated to a corner. It wasn’t quiet, but at least it was away from the crowds. As she scanned the ballroom once over again, she noticed that very near her there was a long strip of at least 5 pairs of crystal French doors. With relief, she hurried to the door, pushed it open, and retreated on to the balcony outside.

A flood of calm rushed through her as she embraced the first silence she had heard in hours. She closed her eyes, leaning against the door. She could still feel the gentle thud of the noise behind her, but it was no longer blaring in her ears. The lights were neutral here too, just the soft glow of the moon reflecting off the ocean. She tiptoed toward the balcony, listening to the crashing waves, appreciating the cool gentle breeze on her face.

“I like being a princess,” she whispered to herself. “But I’m ready to be done for the night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Certain characters in this chapter and the next few are from a different book series, the Icemark Chronicles: Queen Thirrin, Oskan, the Basilea and Consort, and the Werewolf king. The things they discuss in the chapter are also related to the series. I don't remember the details perfectly so some of descriptions of characters listed here may be off. But hey, it's literature right? Maybe I envision the characters differently. Anyway, hope you enjoy, and definitely check out the Icemark Chronicles if the characters peak your interest.

**Author's Note:**

> For my purposes, I'm assuming the Pevensies have been in Narnia for 3 years at this point. So Peter is 18 years old, but 15 at home; Susan is 17, but 14 at home; Edmund is 15, but 12 at home; and Lucy is 13, but 10 at home.  
> Alex is 18, Garrett is 16, Elaine and Lydia are both 13, and Alice is 10.   
> I'm only mentioning this because 15 year old me wrapped my brains into knots trying to figure out how old each character would be in relation to each other if they were all still living in their own world.   
> Also, the relationship between Elaine and Lydia is mildly similar to the relationship of the characters in Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.


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